The Target of His Heart
by SoulReaperNinja713
Summary: Cynthia Richard was a Templar forced into an arranged marriage. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad was the Assassin sent to kill her on the day of her wedding. However, things don't go as planned, and these star-crossed lovers meet face to face. AltaïrOC :EDITED: COMPLETE
1. A Normal Day in Jerusalem

**_May 5, 1191_**

The crowded streets of near dull city that was Jerusalem were fairly routine and normal; the usual days activities going as planned like any other day. Citizens of the city had gotten up from their good nights rest - if they were not busy spending time with whores and drinking till the early hours - and were currently wandering the streets, doing their own duty for the day. Merchants, while their exotic items for sale, called out to those passing by their small shops, presenting their items in which they were planning to sell and make money off of; some were there listening to what they were offering, others simply walked by without a glance over their shoulder. Jar carriers and delivery men casually wandered hither and yon, their destinations unknown to many if not all. The local guards on patrol for the day were on their normal morning duties, making sure no one was doing anything suspicious that would go against the Templar rule while at the same time casually speaking to comrades about their night. Upon seeing the guards, many people slowly parted to different sides, similar to the Red Sea that God had parted for Moses, mainly to avoid trouble. Others were out of polite, but mostly to keep their limbs or their lives No one really did enjoy causing trouble for the guards these days, knowing the lethal consequences fairly well. On many occasions, it was usually death, but that was just to show who was in charge.

A sigh escaped my lips at the thought of such horrible things, remembering a day when someone was accused of stealing and beaten nearly to death and losing a finger. It would be the first time moments like have occurred in the streets; in fact, it usually happened from once a day to once a week. Things like that happened all of the time, whether it be in this city or another. Nevertheless, I was a Templar as well. I was used to it all by now, yet despite that, I still felt my heart sink at the thought of the people, imy/i people getting hurt for a little misdemeanor.

The reason I say the people were mine was because I was…related, I suppose I could say, to Richard the Lionheart. My name: Cynthia Richard; I was his daughter. At least, that was what I was told. Some people, guards mainly due to the fact that I saw many of them on a daily basis, knew who I was simply by sight and occasionally sent either a small bow of respect or a simple nod when they passed by. Since I had been in Jerusalem for some time and have been here before in the past, it was no surprise to see such things. Many of the civilians in the city had heard of my arrival days, even weeks, ago from the passing guards – some of which were my own personal bodyguards who were given patrol duties from their superiors. After the news, many of the civilians made sure to greet me in the street, bowing or sending me a small wave and a smile, and offer me gifts to show their appreciation for the things that I had done for them. They greatly respected me and the compassion I showed to those less fortunate, even going as far as to put a stop to more than one public beating for a small crime, especially when it was just a child who had nothing. Some had told me that I would one day become a great leader when the time was right; they believed I would make the world a better place for them to live in. Unfortunately, I seemed to think otherwise from what they were thinking, which seemed unfair for them.

I started to, unconsciously, chew on my lower lip as my mind wandered off to other places. The thought of becoming an actual ruler made my stomach churn with nervousness and uncertainty, unsure if I really was able to rule an entire nation with the help of a King. Even though I was twenty-three years of age, I felt I was unprepared for something as big as controlling a land much bigger than I had previously imaged when I was but a mere child. The thought never really occurred to me until I actually saw it for what it really was, so vast and so unknown yet glorious and filled with majesty. Despite all that, I still felt unprepared; I even went as far as to tell my father that I was not as excited to become the next ruler as I was back then. Instead of consoling me and giving me advice that would sooth my thoughts, he simply replied with a, "No need to worry about what the future my hold, my child. I know you will be a great ruler, just like me." Although he tried his best to cheer me up with his words, the thought still continued to linger in the back of my mind, gnawing as if it were a mouse chewing through food. People wished for me to be a good queen like my father was King, even if at times his rule seemed rather unfair to the people, but I certainly hoped it would be the opposite and that I would help the people on more occasions than him.

Forest green eyes lowered my feet at the thought of Richard the Lionheart, the man I had looked up to as my father. For as long as I could remember, probably as far back as my days as a young girl, my father and I had not been in the best relationship; we never could see eye to eye on many situations that occurred. Even though I was able to put a smile on my face and talk about how great a man he was to others, it was different in comparison to what people had heard through word of mouth. "They usually fight," one would say. "They would always argue about what was best for the land," another would add. The happy life that I portrayed to many was not true; in other words, the rumors were the real stories told in different ways. For as long as I could remember, he and I seldom spoke to one another, the exception being either through letters sent to one another while I was in another city or when we were arguing about the future of the Kingdom. No one had really known about our distant and rather rugged relationship, since I always spoke so fondly of him, but it was the truth. When I was a child, he was always so worried about his Kingdom that he rarely made any time to spend with family, and when he did he would barely pay much attention. I will not lie when I say I understood his reasons and I respected his decision to focus on his duties, as being a King was very difficult, but it made our relationship grow farther and farther apart as time went on. As much as I did not like the idea of becoming distant from my family, there was nothing I could really do anymore but allow it to happen.

My thin lips pursed as I turned a corner and continued walking down the dirt street; a distracted expression was plastered on my face as I patrolled the area around me, occasionally looking at the merchant shops nearby. It did not feel as though I was patrolling when I was; it felt more like wandering the streets by myself and looking around at everything to see if I had missed something on my previous travels or if something had changed. At the moment, there was nothing; just the same buildings with the same shops, sometimes the same people walking about and nothing more than that. As beautiful a city as this place was, it really seemed rather boring on the inside.

"Lady Richard!"

I stopped in my tracks as I heard a voice call my name, or the respected form of it. When I turned around, I found the person, a guard of about mid-thirties, approaching me before bowing low. A small smile appeared on my lips. _Even when I tell them that bowing is not necessary when my father is not around_, I thought to myself, _they do it anyway_.

"You know, you do not have to refer to me as that, right? It is only around my..." He quickly looked at me as he stood up straight, a curious expression on his face. I paused for a moment, realizing that was dangerously close to mentioning the deteriorating relationship between my father and I. Before he had time to question me about it, I quickly shook my head, causing strands of my long, light brown hair to fall past my shoulders in the process. "Nevermind. Forget I said any of that." A small smile graced my thin lips again as my kind, forest green eyes stared into his dark hues. "Now, what is it that you wish to tell me, sir?"

It took him a moment to respond, as he was just returning from his curious moment from before.

"I was sent here to retrieve you," he said, standing a bit taller than he should have. He must have been one of those uptight higher authoritative figures I heard rumors about. "Your fiancé wishes to speak with you as soon as you are available."

My eyes narrowed at that name as a frown spread across my lips in an instant. There was one other reason as to why I was here in Jerusalem, and it was not just for patrolling as I had mentioned before. In fact, people knew what this particular reason was. That reason happened to be the arrival of my upcoming wedding. As wonderful as it sounded to many, I was not very excited about it like I should have been. Reason being was that the man I was to marry turned out to be a hypocrite, and I mean a real hypocrite not the kind who did it out of fun. I came to realize over the past few months that the man that was to be my husband only cared about himself, the wealth, and the attention he received from others. It was sickeningly cruel to know what kind of person he really was, and I still could not stand to say I was actually marrying him. The man's name was Abel, or Lord Abel of England due to his noble heritage. However, the only difference between he and I was that he continuously took advantage of it all without much of a care for others, while I seldom asked for much from...well, _anyone_.

Even though I spoke about him with great distaste, his physical appearance and voice - apparently he had an "English" accent - made him seem like a gentle, kind young man with a caring personality and heart as big as an oversized boulder. His appearance made him seem less than the evil brute that I had seen in the past on more than one occasion. Short, well cut black hair adorned his head, and ocean blue eyes gave him a look of innocence, eyes that would make any woman fall for him at the first sight. I would know; I had done so when I first met him many months ago. His physique was slim, yet muscular, as I had seen that he was able to handle a sword very well on his own. His attire consisted of his noble background - a yellow and orange color theme, which was a very strange combination in my opinion, but I did not judge their traditional family style. Nevertheless, despite all of the good things I may have picked out, it did not change my opinion of him. _Never let appearances fool you_, I always told myself since the day our marriage was made official by my father, after I realized just what kind of man he really was.

When Abel and I met for the first time, I made sure I was always on my guard, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious about the man, as I was brought up to be that way from the very start. I was told to always get to know a person before making any judgments. Sadly, as I spoke to him more and time went on, I mistook him for that kind, young gentlemen who just wanted someone to love and be happy with for all his days. I was a blind little fool back then, even at the moment I accepted his proposal. Since then, he had treated me as if I were nothing but a beggar on the streets, looking the other way and pretending I did not exist. His only reason behind our marriage, I learned, was to become rich and have anything he could ever ask for in life. I had seen him speak of how much money he proposed he would want when he became King, and became disgusted since. I had warned my father of this important matter, not wanting the Kingdom to fall into the hands of a spoiled child, yet he refused to listen to me due to the fact that he was unable to see the evil in Abel's heart. That was when I realized I could not even trust my own father to help me in a situation as urgent as this, and as time went on, I realized nearly every person among the cities did not believe me and was praising Abel, iworshiping the man/i. How could he do such a thing, blind these people with lies and fake promises of a better future?

I quickly removed the expression on my face and simply sighed before saying, "All right, then. I suppose I am available right now. Not much going on here, anyway, why stay?" A quick, hesitant pause as I glanced over at a nearby building with a look of disinterest. "If I may so..._kindly_ ask, will you please lead me to him?"

"But of course, Milady."

He bowed once more out of respect, only this one was much more brief than the first one, before leading the way to wherever Abel was currently located. Forcing my legs to move, I silently followed close behind him, resisting the urge to just run away before the guard had time to notice anything. Unconsciously, I pursed my lips with distaste, glancing at everything else around me in a futile attempt to distract myself from what was to come in the future. This was going to be a painfully long and slow walk, a walk I was forcing myself to trek.

**_Altaïr's POV_**

"Well, well, it seems you have returned, Altaïr," stated Malik, a hint of venom clear in his tone, as I entered the room as silent as a mouse. My dark eyes narrowed at his words, yet remained silent, for I was not in the mood to banter with him again as we had in the past. "I assume the Master has sent you here to eliminate yet _another_ Templar to help restore your ranks."

His voice was bored and monotone as always, as if he already knew what to do and what he was meant to ask. I could not blame him very much; the Dai had been stuck here within the walls of the Assassin's Bureau in Jerusalem for some time now - several months I suppose, since he now only had one arm to work with instead of two. I knew the reason for behind the matter, as he had blamed me for it all this time without much question and with his own reasons. It was not only due to the events at Solomon's Temple, where we nearly lost the Piece of Eden to Robert de Sable, but it was because he had lost both his arm and his younger brother Kadar Al-Sayf as well. There was no other reason than that, and it was clear he hated me since. Not wanting to reminisce on the past, I pushed the thoughts and memories of that day to the back of my mind. I did not wanting to reopen the old wounds of the past as Malik had done so without much of a care on more than one occasion. _What was in the past is finished now_, I told myself, _and worrying about it now would only be a distraction to me_. The only way to repent for what had happened back then was to find and kill Robert de Sable, the man who had caused it all. It was he who had brought upon the death of Kadar and the loss of Malik's arm. It was he who had to pay dearly for his crimes.

Approaching the desk, I brought myself back into reality, while Malik barely paid much attention to me at all.

"Cynthia Richard," I spoke in a blank tone, "is the target Al Mualim sent me to eliminate."

The Dai raised an eyebrow with interest as he glanced up at me for a brief moment, his expression different than what I had expected. It seemed he appeared to be interested to hear such news about someone as high in royalty, especially when it was Richard's daughter, yet his voice said otherwise.

"Richard's daughter? Sentenced to death?" He sounded as if he did not exactly hear me, but the look on his face knew exactly what I had said. Instead of repeating myself, I simply replied with a small nod. "Why does the Master wish to see her dead?" He paused for thought. "Has she done something to grab the attention of the Brotherhood?"

I simply gave a small shrug as Malik returned his attention back down at his work.

"He only told me that getting rid of her would most likely give us a higher advantage at finding and finishing off Robert de Sable," I explained. "He did not give me any more details as to what kind of trouble she has caused towards the Brotherhood."

Malik remained silent for a brief moment, taking in the information, before sighing with disinterest.

"I would recommend searching the Rich District," he suggested in a bland tone, "since she is very high in nobility, thanks to her father as you know. There is bound to be some information about her possible troubles around there. Besides," He sneered, "I am sure she is loved by everyone, anyway. Tch. _Stalked_ by everyone is a more appropriate. I would not be surprised if you came back saying she brainwashed them all with either her money or her looks."

I blinked curiously, taking note to Malik's muttering toward the end of his sentence. Knowing Malik rather well, even before the events at Solomon's Temple, I knew it was not like him to suddenly speak to himself out of the blue the way he did just now. It was out of character for a man like him. Then again, I had not been around in the bureau for long enough to figure out whether he had suddenly lost it or not. My eyes narrowed. _No_, I thought. _Malik was not one to feel loneliness, especially not enough to talk to himself_. He may have been a rather stubborn man, but he would not stoop so low as to feel alone inside the Assassin's Bureau, let alone talk to himself when he had no one else to converse with. Maybe, from the way he spoke about Cynthia, he actually felt something for her. Not love, of course, as he believed love would only make him weaker as the Master constantly mentioned to us during our days as novices, but it was something different than that. An idea came to my mind started to assume something that would probably never come to mind. Maybe...

"You pity the woman," I stated, finishing the thought with my own voice. It sounded more like a statement than a question, one Malik did not appreciate very much as he glanced at me rather quickly, disbelief filling in his eyes, before answering with a glare and a harsh tone.

"No, I do not." He spoke as if I just asked the stupidest question in the world, but it did not matter to me all that much. "That is a thought that will never cross my mind.

I raised a curious eyebrow before continuing, "It sounded as though you did, but it was only a curious thought and nothing more. Also, it sounded as if you may be jealous over the fact that everyone adores her."

Malik growled at my words, his glare hardening in the process.

"That is absurd!" He snapped angrily. "Why the Hell would I be jealous of a mere girl who has everything a person could ever ask for in the palm of her hand?" When I did not respond to his question, he shook his head and looked back at his maps. "She is nothing but a spoiled, immature child just looking for attention. That is all she is and ever will be."

"I am sure she is, no doubt about that," I spoke as I began to leave, "but who is to say that you are just like her...?" Malik glared at me. "Well, excluding the whole adoration idea, of course."

"Watch it, La'Ahad," he hissed as I turned and left the Bureau silently, "or I'll have your head on a pike!"

**_Cynthia's POV_**

"Are you excited about the wedding, Milady?" The guard asked as we continued to make our way to where Abel was. "I am still surprised that it is tomorrow! Everyone is just as happy for this special occasion" He chuckled a bit at his exuberance; I felt a small smile appear on my lips. "Time seems to fly by fairly quickly these days, you know? I barely remember what I did yesterday."

I looked at the ground and watched my feet move one in front of the other in a repeating matter, thinking the complete opposite of what he had spoken. I could not blame him, really; he, among others, were very excited to know that I was finally going to help the upcoming King - Abel - lead the land. Unfortunately, I knew that the future for this wonderful place was going to fall down a dark path.

"I apologize for not sharing your...enthusiasm, sir," I replied. I sensed him look at me with confusion filling his gruff features.

"How can you not be happy about such a wonderful event?" He questioned. "You are getting married to a nobleman of your father's liking!"

"I know that..." I muttered, "but to Abel, and we all know..." I trailed off for a moment as I realized that it was only I who thought one way, "Well, _I_ know that he is nothing more than a hypocrite."

"He is a great man, Milady. How could you not be excited to be marrying a noble just like yourself, and one your father and the Kingdom both approve of?"

I looked at the sky for a long moment, before sighing and looking at the ground once more.

"I told you many times before, but you do not see the ireal/i him, the one I see almost every single day..."

"I do not see any flaw in him," he continued while I shook my head. I had expected choice of words. "I think your father made a great choice when finding you a suitable husband."

At that, I looked in front of me, my eyes filling with anger, yet my voice remained calm as I said, "You mean a _stupid_ choice. Abel is nothing more than a selfish, spoiled, ungrateful child that cares of no one but himself. He bosses me around as if I am his little servant, a pawn in his little games and nothing more. He does not treat me the way a soon-to-be married couple should treat each other, but as if I were a worthless dog. I cannot stand to even look at him or even know that he is in the vicinity." I sighed and looked away. "I just...I just want this all to be a dream. I just want to wake up and forget that he even exists in my life, that he ever existed in my life. I just want someone better than him, someone who actually treats women with at least a little respect and not like some animal..."

The guard sighed and shook his head. Clearly, he did not listening to word I said as he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "For a woman your age, you act a lot like a child."

"I am not acting like a child!" I snapped in a low tone, not wanting to a bring attention upon myself by others around me. "It is the truth, but you refuse to listen to it!"

He simply chuckled at my words.

"If you say so, Milady…"

I looked away from him and remained silent, shaking my head with disbelief. No one understood what I had to deal with every single day when it came to Abel. No one understood the pain I had to endure with him, to know he was evil while everyone else saw a young man ready to marry and take on the world with an iron fist. Everyone may adore us and respect us as a couple, thinking that the Kingdom was to be placed in the right hands, but they could not see the pain behind every one of my smiles. They did not know that I was dying to burst out of my skin, to scream for all the world to see and expose him for what he really was. I may not have wanted people to pay attention to every little pain I had in the world, but just this once did I want someone, anyone, to help me. Those who adored Abel, obviously, had not seen the real him. If they had, though, they were probably too blind by his "handsome looks" and "kind heart" to actually pay any attention to anything he did. It killed me to know people actually loved him, looked up to him, _worshiped_ him, as if he were God in the living, breathing flesh, yet they could not see the selfish side I had seen mere days after he proposed to me, since the day my father officially began arranging this marriage. It was a day I would always regret, even if the marriage were somehow broken off by luck.

"I am going run away from all of this," I spoke aloud, making the guard look at me with a bit of shock, before I sensed a smile appear on his face.

"Those are just words, milady," he chuckled. "Not to show any disrespect, but I do not think you will have a chance at escaping this marriage, no matter how hard you tried."

"That...is what you think..." I responded, ending the conversation with those simple words.

**_Altaïr's POV_**

"Good work, Altaïr," said the Informer, a tone of relief hidden in his voice as I approached him, speaking of the good news his life would be spared. "Those men will not have my head this day."

At least an hour had passed since I left the Assassin's Bureau in search of information on Cynthia Richard. Heading to the possible location where she may have been near, I was able eavesdrop on a group that spoke of Cynthia's whereabouts and where she would be in near the future. According to them, she was going to be somewhere near the center of the city, but for what reason I was unable to find out. Later, I pick-pocketed a letter that she wished to send to her father, claiming she wanted it sent as quickly as possible. I had yet to read the letter, but I was planning on doing so in the near future when I returned to the bureau for the night. However, after that, there was not much about what I was looking for, yet I continued looking for even the smallest of clues that would benefit me. After another few minutes of searching through the Rich District, I ran into the Informer standing before me. He appeared to be somewhat afraid for his life before explaining that some Templars were after him after they caught him pick-pocketing one of the guards in the Middle District. If I eliminated them, he told me he would speak about what Cynthia was up to at the present time. I immediately took the offer without hesitation and returned fifteen minutes later with the Templars eliminated and gone from this world.

I glanced around for a moment before looking back at him.

"I am in a bit of a hurry today, as the Master wishes for her demise as soon as possible," I explained in a blank tone. "Just tell me what I need to know, and I will be on my way."

"Yes, yes. Of course," he spoke. He paused for a moment before realization struck his shielded features, as if he just remembered something very important. "To tell you the truth, Altaïr, Cynthia Richard had just passed by here while you were away."

I blinked at his words, shocked by the sudden news, yet my expression remained unfazed.

"Was she with someone?"

He responded with a quick, brief nod, and said, "Yes, in fact. A guard was with her at that point." I cursed under my breath as he continued. "They were talking about her marriage that is to happen...I believe it was tomorrow from the rumors I heard around the city."

"Marriage?" I questioned, earning another nod from the Informer. "Where and when will this event take place?"

"Here in Jerusalem, actually. Just before noon tomorrow. To Lord Abel, I might add." He paused as he collected his thoughts. "Not only was I going to tell you of the marriage, but I was also going to tell you a way to get iinto/i the ceremony unnoticed and eliminate her at the altar."

I crossed my arms over my chest and navigated my eyes, not really caring if Cynthia was to be married or not, just as long as the mission was completed.

"I am sure she is..._very_ happy about this," I spoke out loud, a sarcastic and disinterested tone clear in my voice. "Any woman would be if they were to be married at her age."

The Informer lowered his head slightly before crossing his arms over his chest, mirroring my motions.

"Actually, it is quite the opposite." I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow slightly at his words. "She claims her fiancé is a...a 'selfish, spoiled, ungrateful child that does not care about anyone but himself.'" He uncrossed his arms. "Obviously, she does not like the man at all. She even went as far to say she wished to run away from it all."

A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I uncrossed my arms and allowed them to fall to their sides.

"She will not have to worry about him for very long, for she is not going to _live_ long enough to walk down the aisle."

The Informer chuckled at my words as I turned and entered the moving crowd.

"We shall see about that, Altaïr." He said as I left. "We shall see..."


	2. Abel

**_Cynthia's POV_**

"What is it that you want, Abel...?" I spoke in a blunt tone of voice as the guard and I approached my fiancé, resisting the urge to be rude but instead refusing to refer to him as any term of endearment. The aforementioned dark haired fiancé turned around to face me, obviously sensing my presence and hearing my disinterested ton of voice, just as I stopped walking. The guard that had escorted me bowed low before slowly walking off in a different direction, returning to his previous duties. Smiling warmly at me, he slowly started walking up to me, happy to see that I had arrived as quickly (and half-heartedly) as I did. My eyes narrowed with disgust at that smile.

For as long as I could remember, I had always hated that kind, gentle smile of his. He always had it on, especially when he was around me. Even from afar, I knew it was nothing but a little white lie growing into something so heinous it was unspeakable. Unfortunately, no else was able to see it as well as I had in these passing months. He appeared as if he were just an innocent young man laying eyes on his dear and beloved fiancé, and that was all people could see. However, instead of paying attention to the outside of him, I knew what his heart was like. He was only pretending to be the loving and caring soon-to-be husband my father wanted. Hell, he was pretending to act like the leader everyone wanted, needed, and _praised_. People believed he would be a much suited King for the land, but whenever I told them about what he was really like, selfish and self-centered, they did not believe me. Only a few people believed my words, those who may not have seen as they were very skeptical of Abel's much too nice personality toward everyone he came into contact with. Others, on the other hand, simply refused the idea or thought I was just wrong or nervous for the wedding. It was difficult to comprehend why they did not want to believe me, but I did not think about it very much.

"Cynthia, my lovely soon-to-be wife!" Abel's tone was filled exuberance and love while that smile danced across his face. It caused my chain of thought to be broken before I continued to glare at him. When he approached me, he immediately pulled me into a small embrace. "It is good to see you again, my dear." I did not return the embrace, and simply continued to stare him down like a warrior ready to strike down the enemy. Sensing my anger and annoyance, he pulled away, keeping his hands on my shoulders, and looked me in the eyes with his ocean blue eyes. "Why do you not look excited, my love?" He questioned, his eyebrows furrowing. "It is your wedding! You should be very happy."

I looked away from him, shrugging my shoulders harshly in the process in order to remove his cold, medium sized hands.

"I _thought_ I was going to be happy," I said, glaring into a different direction that was not him, "but instead, I am marrying _you_, a man who only cares about himself, his money, and his nobility."

He blinked once at my words, once again playing innocent.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Cynthia," he said, his eyebrows furrowing into a somewhat saddened and hurtful expression.

"Do not play dumb with me, Abel," I growled, sensing his little trick coming into play. "You are just acting like this, so kind and gentle, because there are people around us. You are only doing this just to keep my father and everyone else happy. They all think I am going to be happy if I marry you. But there is one thing you missed out; I am not happy! Not at all!"

Abel stared at me for a long moment, dumbfounded by my words, before saying, "But Cynthia, I am doing my best to keep you happy, but with the arrangements and whatnot, I have been very busy." He placed a hand on my cheek in a loving manner, yet it made me shrink back. "I greatly apologize if I am not around to keep you company like you want, my love, but I want tomorrow to be perfect just for you."

I rolled my eyes in disgust as I slapped his hand away.

"You are so stupid," I hissed. "I do not even know _why_ my father is forcing me to marry someone like **_you_**."

"Because he thinks I am a great man and will make you happy and keep you that way while he is gone." I sensed a small smile growing on his face, one that was filled with all the lies that I had been told over the months. "I truly do love you, Cynthia, and I would not do anything to hurt or displease you. I only wish to make you happy like your father wishes."

Enraged, I turned around and marched right up to him, moving fairly close to his face.

"You are a liar, Abel!" I snapped at him, the frustration that had been building up over time finally boiling over the edge. "The only reason why you wish to marry me is so you could use me to get what you want out of my family, my Kingdom: money, power, recognition!" He moved his head back a bit, trying to keep a small distance away from me. "You want to become the next king so you can rule this peaceful land! You want all the attention you never got when you were in England! You want all the money you can get your grubby little hands on so you can buy everything you want, since you are nothing but a spoiled little ungrateful child living in royalty!" I moved closer to him, and he took a small step back as he stared at me in fake shock. "And what do I get out of this, Abel? NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! You are just going to throw me to the side like a rag doll and leave me to die just so you can have all the power to yourself, and so I will not oppose you or go against your wishes!"

"But...but Cynthia, I would never - "

"This idea of marrying you is ridiculous! This pathetic wedding is unwanted! EVERYTHING ABOUT OUR SO CALLED RELATIONSHIP DISGUSTS ME TO NO END! I hate everything about you, and I regret the day I ever said yes to your damned proposal!" People around us started staring in shock, surprised to see how upset at was with my fiancé. "I just wish I had never met you in the first place! I wish I found someone else who actually cares about a woman and her feelings towards a man and does not plan on using her just to get what he wants!"

With those words having left my lips, I abruptly turned on my heel and stormed away from him, fists clenched tightly with anger and preventing myself from injuring him. My rage was to a point when I just wanted to hit something, anything, as hard as I could and break it to pieces. However, I chose to keep myself from doing such an insane thing. To keep myself in check and not scare anyone around me, I prevented myself from turning right back around, walking straight up to him, and just throwing a fist right into his face. Instead, I decided that I wanted to be alone for the rest of the day, get my mind off him for a little while. That, or be around someone who would keep me a little sane for a little while. People around me took notice to my angered state and aura before quickly dispersing out of the way, watching me as I marched past them like an angered bull and away from the pathetic excuse of a man named Abel. My fists clenched to a point where they would puncture skin and make them bleed. However, I took deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself.

That bastard of a man, without even lifting a finger, made me feel so frustrated and enraged. Sometimes, I hated the decisions my father made for me. He still, to this day, only saw the child he had seen every day in the past, and he believed I could not make my own decisions for myself or for the land without a king by my side to help me. I could tell he saw me as only a child, a little girl, and assumed he would have to make all of my decisions for me until the day I stood at the altar and said "I do" to a man who later be dubbed King. Although I loved my father dearly despite the distant relationship between us, why did it have to be someone like Abel? Why did it have to be a pompous, self-centered brute who only believed his wants and desires were more important than anything else? That the money and power that belonged to my father and myself should belong to him? Why was he chosen to be my husband? His parents raised him to be better than that, since I had met with them once before. They agreed he was just no good, but it was only to me, which seemed very odd to both of them. They were not sure as to why he suddenly acted the way he did, and they were not sure what to do about it.

"If we had some sort of idea," Abel's father said, sounding a little saddened and worried at the same time, "we would have used it on Abel by now. But even we, people whom he had gone to all his life, do not know what to do."

A heavy, defeated sigh escaped my lips as I slowly attempted to unclench my tightly clenched hands, knowing that punching someone or something would only result in an injury, whether it be big or small. I was sure my father would not want me to become injured a day before the wedding, especially if it resulted in injuring the groom as well. Instead, I decided to calm my anger and riled state of mind by going to visit my good friends who would be able to help a little. With their assistance, I would be able to keep myself in check even if it was for only a little while during the day.

At the thought of my dear friends, a small smile graced my lips, knowing they could help me with any problem I had come across or had to deal with, most of the time involving Abel. Without them, Abel would be injured a lot more than usual, and my father would not be one happy king.

"It is good to have friends like them," I muttered to myself as I turned a corner and headed towards the estate that was rented out until our wedding.

**_Altaïr's POV_**

"I just wish I had never met you in the first place! I wish I found someone else who actually cares about a woman and her feelings towards a man and does not plan on using her just to get what he wants!"

With those words spoke, I quietly watched as Cynthia turned and marched away from the man she had spoken to, most likely her supposed lover as mentioned by the informer. I could not see her face very well due to the elevated distance, but despite that, I could still sense she was extremely upset from her argument moments ago. From what I heard, it sounded as if the informer was right all along; Cynthia truly hated the man she was forced to call her fiancé. Also, even though he did not speak about himself all that much, Abel sounded very condescending and self-centered based off the way he spoke to and acted around his soon-to-wife. He sounded very confident, which no one seemed to notice at all with the exception being Cynthia herself. I would not know for sure until I investigated him further, but he was not my target to kill. Returning to my feet, I watched Cynthia for another few seconds before slowly glancing back at the man, who I presumed was Abel from the argument before. For a moment, he just stood there, shocked as he watched his beloved fiancé storm off into the opposite direction. Then, after another few seconds, he lowered his head and stared at the ground for a moment before looking in Cynthia's direction and smiled. That smile of his did not appear to be one that I had expected. Instead, it appeared menacing, almost..._evil_.

Eyes narrowed, I watched as he turned to the few guards standing nearby, bodyguards possibly, and began walking in the opposite direction from Cynthia, snapping his fingers to signal his guards to follow him. _What are you up to, Abel?_ I inquired as he began to disappear from my view. _What are you trying to hide?_

Pushing the thought to the side for safe keeping, I quickly turned my head back to Cynthia, eyeing her closely, before silently trailing the rooftops behind her, leaping over a few short gaps between them in the process. She continued to storm away from the spot in which her fiancé once was, and she still appeared to be fumed a bit from the argument. However, as time continued to pass by, her once angered and frustrated state seemed to slowly deteriorate, as if something else was on her mind distracting her her. Whatever she was thinking about made her forget about what had happened moments ago. From what I had seen so far, she seemed to calm down fairly easily if the topic changed into something different. She did not seem like a threat nor did she look like one. She seemed very innocent. In fact, she appeared to be a little _too_ innocent. Not the kind of innocent that would make one suspicious about her, much like Abel moments ago, but the innocent that made a person look completely harmless both on the outside and the inside. _If she was truly that kind of innocent_, I thought, _then why would Master Al Mualim want her dead in the first bait?_ Using her as bait, as Al Mualim had told me before sending me here, could not be the only reason behind his desire for her demise.

With that thought sewn into my mind, I slowly came to a halt as she turned a corner, her form disappearing from my vision completely. I had all the information I needed about what to do in order for the assassination to be completed, so there was no need to follow her any longer at this point. Now, all I needed to do was wait for the right time to make my move and strike. With a small nod, I quickly made my way back to the Assassin's Bureau, most likely walking right into a lecture from Malik about how he was nothing like Cynthia or something along those lines for a good several hours. I rolled my eyes as I leapt onto the opposite roof. This was going to be a long day.

**_Cynthia's POV_**

"Alexandra, Diana! Cynthia's back from patrolling!" Ada Haksson, a friend whom I had known since she arrived from Sweden many years ago, called out happily once she opened the door to my bedroom and spotted me. With a small smile, I simply followed close behind her, drooping slightly from walking around Jerusalem so much and from the small argument with Abel about twenty minutes before. Once I entered my room, I dragged myself over to my bed, flopping down onto it, feeling the cool, soft material beneath me. After another few moments, I sighed contently and looked back at Ada, who shook her head at the position that I was in, her curly light brown hair following suit. "It must have been a long day if your that worn out," she commented, blinking her dark brown eyes once while brushing out her light brown hair.

I slowly got up in a sitting position before saying, "No, not really. It was not _that_ bad...er, sort of."

"Why add the 'sort of', Cynthia?" I glanced over at Alexandra Benedek, a young Hungarian woman whom I had also known since I was a child. She sat at the chair closest to my dresser, straddling it and placing her chin atop her bare forearms. Her brown eyes held a bit of curiosity while she wore a smirk on her lightly tanned face. She fiddled with a strand of her dark colored hair, as well.

I smiled innocently in her direction, shrugging slightly, before replying, "I..._may_ have snapped at Abel in public."

Her smirk widened slightly as well as her eyes, leaning forward in her seat a bit.

"You must be joking," she stated, only to earn a shake of the head from me.

"I am not," I responded back. "It actually felt...pretty good to finally let him have it for once since all of this started. He deserved it, anyway."

"Letting off a little steam is good every once in awhile," entered Diana Rousseau, a French-born woman who had known Ada since they were children before meeting Alexandra and I years later. She came into the room through the double doorway that lead to my balcony. Running a hand through her auburn colored hair, she blinked her blue eyes once before saying with a smile, "We would not want you ranting about how Abel is a horrible man whenever you see one of us."

"Oh, thank you, Diana." I responded with playful sarcasm, "I did not want my problems to _bore_ you all to death."

We all started to laugh, almost as if we were all children once again. It had been so long since the days when we were still so young and free spirited. Things had changed dramatically as we became older and older with every passing year, every passing hour, every passing minute, many of which we were unprepared for all together. I lived on to start taking on my responsibilities as the daughter of Richard, while Ada, Alexandra, and Diana moved on to become Templar Knights just like they said they would. We still were able to see one another from time to time, though, which kept us together as friends. Sometimes, though one of us would be too busy with some important job and would not be able to come see the others by the time she was finished with her duties for the day. Nevertheless, we still remained close friends and saw each other whenever we had the time. Even if I had an arranged marriage to worry about, which was not really that much of a deal on my part, it could never keep me from seeing my friends. That was another reason why I cherished my friendship so much; not only did they do my best to help not only myself but other people as well, they would do their best just to try and see their childhood friends again after a long hard day at work.

"So what did Abel do now?" Alexandra questioned, leaning back in her chair in a lazy manner. I huffed at the mere thought of my so-called fiancé.

"Well, he did not do anything to me, but the way he acted was usual," I explained. "He wanted to see me for something, though I never did find out what it was. From the way he acted, all innocent and whatnot, it gave me the impression that he was just messing with my head." I looked up at the ceiling. "He told me how much he wanted to spend time with me, but I knew from the look in his eyes that it was all a lie. So," I looked back at them, "I let him have it!"

Ada groaned with frustration.

"I cannot _stand_ that man!" She, then, took a pillow and slammed her face into it, muffling an annoyed scream. "Why can the people not see him for who he really is? It is ridiculous!"

I giggled at her dull expression after the pillow lowered to reveal her eyes.

"Do not worry so much, Ada. He thinks he can act nice and innocent while in public, but I have seen him for what he really is. He cannot hide it from me or anybody else forever."

"I do not see why he has to be so...'innocently handsome,' so to speak, to all the people in the cities," Alexandra spoke, rolling her eyes. "It is sad to know people can be so blinded from the truth simply because of good looks and charisma."

"Do not worry," Diana said, sitting down next to me on my bed and placing a hand on my shoulder in reassurance. "Eventually, he will be caught red-handed like a thief, and then," She looked at me, "people will start to believe you."

"Yes, but the question is...when?" Alexandra pointed out. "Once again, innocent charm equals wooed civilians, which outweighs evil, conceited brute. It may be awful to know, but it is true."

I looked at the hardwood floor with a saddened expression.

"True..." I muttered. "When will that day come?"

Ada returned to her feet and placed the pillow back onto her bed before saying, "Hopefully soon, Cynthia." I looked over at my window, feeling a light breeze brush over my skin. "With your determination and smarts along with our skills put together, that day will come sooner than we all think."

"Yes..." I muttered to myself, putting on a small, yet fake smile. "Hopefully soon..."


	3. The Assassin and the Templar

**_The Next Day_**

**_May 6, 1191_**

"Milady, it is time to get up," spoke a young handmaiden, her voice fragile and kind mainly to show respect toward me, someone high royalty. I groaned lazily in response before pulling the covers over my head even more, not wanting to leave the sanctuary of my bed.

Today was a day that many have anticipated for so long; nearly a year of patience has passed by, and now people could not longer hold it in. It was the day I was to be wed to the pompous and arrogant Abel. It was the day I had dreaded for many weeks and months, but could never get out of, never escape. Although she did not show it and sound like, the maid that stood in my room was very excited that my wedding day had finally arrived. Everyone was excited for me. in fact. I could not blame them all that much. It was a wedding, a happy time in a young couple's life. However, I was not as jovial to be married, for I knew Abel would treat me the way he did now. Eventually, he would leave me to die somewhere once the wedding was over, assuming full power of the throne - even if he did control power with me being there, he was not going to keep me around to breath down his neck. I knew he did not care about his unfortunate soon-to-be wife nor did he care about his soon-to-be people. His mind only focused on the riches he claimed once the wedding was over and done with. However, I chose not to deal with his selfishness if he became the new king. I would not stand for such childish behavior, and I would do anything to stop him from getting what he wanted. That would be another reason why he would get rid of me so soon; to keep my mouth shut permanently.

A sigh escaped the maid's lips at my actions as she said, "Milady, please, you have to get up and get ready for the wedding."

I groaned once again.

"Leave me be…" I muttered groggily, burying my face into my pillow. "Please, let me sleep for a little while longer."

She sighed once again as if she expected that answer from me.

"But you must get up, Milady," she said in a bit of a pleading tone. "It is your wedding today, and you mustn't be late for this special occasion."

I pulled the covers over me a little more.

"I am not going," I responded groggily but harshly. I did not mean to say that way, especially toward her; since she was just the messenger. "I _refuse_ to marry a man like him."

"I understand if you think he is not what we think he is, but-" She started, but I quickly cut her off.

"I do not think. I **_know_**." My voice became angered for a moment before sighing, calming myself down so as to not sound even more frustrated than I already was. "Please, tell Abel he will have to find a new bride and to leave me be."

This time, instead of trying to convince me even further, she decided to walk out of the room silently and follow my request. Clearly, she had given up trying to wake me up from my deep slumber, much to my liking. The reason it was to my liking was because, in reality, I was not sleeping at all. In fact, I was wide awake even before she even set foot into the room to wake me.

The moment I heard my bedroom door shut behind the young handmaiden, I immediately threw the blankets off my body and got out of bed. Fixing myself briefly, I ran over to my closet and pulled out my uniform suited for a Templar, which sat next to my wedding dress after placing it there last night before going to bed. Glaring at the white dress for a moment, I rolled my green eyes, recalling what was to come today, before quickly threw off my night ware and putting on my uniform. I made sure to put the clothes on first before moving to the set the armor in their appropriate places. Once that was over and done with, I moved to the dresser, combed out my mess of brown hair that sat atop my head, and strapped my sword to my belt. Fastening it in place, I glanced at myself in the mirror, looking over myself to make sure nothing was out of place. I did not want to appear as if I were in a rush to get out of here, especially if I happened to be wearing my uniform on the day I was to be married. That would only cause suspicion, and that was something I did not want at this time. Who knew what would happen if too many people became suspicious of what I was up to?

Our plan - our meaning myself and my friends - of escaping from the wedding I was forced into by my own father and King was finally starting to take shape. We had been planning the escape for quite some time now, going through everything to make sure there was nothing out of place and smooth out any problems that may arise. In fact, it had been planned out since the day Abel had threatened to leave me in the dust once he became King if I did not leave him be for a few hours. That was when the line had finally been crossed for me and the others, and we knew for sure I could not marry him. It was mainly the trio's plan, but I tagged along and helped out with some of the flaws that I noticed along the way. With time, we knew it turned out to be perfected enough to actually work. The plan of escape that we came up with in the end was simple. We were going leave Jerusalem as fast and as quietly we could without anyone catching or spotting us on the way. Once we were out, we were to head to Damascus, where we would go into hiding for a couple months until it was safe to move on. If that did not work, we would head to Acre instead and disguise ourselves as the people of the district in order to blend in with the crowd. Nevertheless, we would head to one of those two cities until the whole ordeal blew over (well, most of it to say the least). When the time was right, we would take a boat up to Spain and live out the rest of our lives where no one would be able to find us. At first, the plan did not seem as if it would work, since it was all of our ideas put together plus I was leaving everything I once knew behind forever, but since I was never going to see Abel again, I no longer cared about leaving it all behind. After everything my father had forced me to go through, I did not care if I never saw him again.

Satisfied with my appearance, I nodded and quickly walked over to a bowl of fruits that was left on the dresser, most likely by the maid herself before turning her attention to wake me, and picked up an apple, taking a bite out of it rather swiftly. Then, the sound of whistling came from outside the window. With a smile appearing on my face, I swallowed the apple, took another bite, and walked over to my balcony before opening the double doors, walking out into the rays of the Jerusalem sunshine. Taking in a breath of fresh crisp air, I looked down to notice find Ada, Alexandra, and Diana smiling up at me. My smile grew a bit as I nodded down to them, letting the three of them know that I was on my way down to meet up with them. They all nodded in response, allowing me to quickly walk out of my room, finishing off my apple in the process. The moment I opened my bedroom door, though, I stopped immediately in my tracks, my breath catching itself within seconds as my eyes widened slightly with surprise. I had found myself looking down at the young maid that was in my room mere minutes ago standing in the doorway. She, too, was staring at me, but with a confused expression on her face.

"M-Milady, what are you doing? Where are you off to?" She questioned as she tilted her head slightly to one side. I did not respond to her question as she continued, "You should be getting into your wedding dress by now. Why have you not changed into it yet?"

I did not know how to respond her curious questions, and I started to panic. My heart began beating faster as I tried to come up with some sort of excuse. I feared of exposing my plans to run away from the wedding, since I feared she would run off and tell someone before I even had a chance to set foot out of the city. Word would spread fast, and we would be caught immediately when they found us. My lightly tanned face turned pale as I continued think of excuses to tell her so she could move out of the way and I could take my leave. She continued to stand there, waiting for me to say something, anything, in response to her curious questions. I had to think of something quickly, or she would become much too suspicious and warn the guards to keep a close eye on me. It was something I did not want to happen, not when we were so close freedom.

I glanced over at a wall for a moment before looking back at her.

"U-um...I was just...putting on my uniform for one last time...because..." I hesitated for a brief second, "because I am going to miss being in this uniform!" _Sounded reasonable_, I thought. "I felt that...maybe putting this on again and going for a quick walk will make me feel a little better before changing."

She continued to stare up at me for a long moment, her eyes still filled with wonder and confusion, while I stared down at her, keeping a small, yet fake smile on my lips. My heart still beat rapidly as she silently watched me, so much I thought she could hear it and sense my white lie. However, I would have sighed with relief when her face turned into a gentle smile, but I had to hold it in and continue to fake a smile for just a little while longer.

"Oh, I see!" She said happily and rather innocently, folding her hands together in front of her chest. "I understand if you are going to miss your old life, Milady, but I am sure it will be much better now that you are going to marry Lord Abel."

I held the urge to retort back with something about the man I was marrying, replacing it with a simple laugh.

"Yes..." I responded. "I am sure it will. He truly is a..._great_ man..."

"Well, I am glad you are starting to see him in a much different light, Milady." She said, before bowing slightly and walking off. "Besides, I am going to be just like Abel one day! Strong, kind, and a powerful leader! Everything that he is!"

My smile disappeared as I watched the young girl walk off, giving the girl pity without saying a word to her. _No, you will not be like that man_, I thought. _You will be much better than Abel. So much better._ With that thought in mind, I quickly walked off in the opposite direction of the girl.

**_Altaïr's POV_**

"Wake up, Altaïr," Malik commanded harshly. Instantly, my eyes opened and I sat up, only to find him standing over me with a small glare in his eyes. "This is not the time to be lazy, now get up!" He turned around and walked into the other room. "You have a mission to complete, remember? Or are you waiting for someone else to do it for you for a change?"

I chuckled a bit as I got to my feet and followed him out as I replied, "Still upset about the whole 'spoiled child' ordeal last night, are you not, Malik?"

He turned his head to me, sent me another harsh glare, and said, "Do not get me started on that again. One debate about my personality is enough for one night."

I shook my head at his words.

"You must learn how to let stuff go, Malik." I told him as I stood in front of his desk, which was still cluttered with maps and books. "It is..._unbecoming_ of an Assassin."

Once again, he glared at me before rolling his eyes.

"Of course I can live and let go, but to compare me to that spoiled little Templar Cynthia?" He snapped. "That is almost as bad as...as accusing me of being a _real_ Templar!"

I turned my head away from him.

"You do not know if she is spoiled or not," I stated. "Have you forgotten what I told you last night? She did not seem all that interested in herself or the riches of her father at all when she conversed with Abel."

"You mean _scolded_ him," Malik corrected, glancing over at me as he returned to his work scattered about the table. "You told me she had an argument with him about their relationship, claiming she wanted someone better than him or something along those lines, remember?"

I nodded before crossing my arms over my chest.

"You are correct," I responded. "She even mentioned it in the letter she had written to her father, enough to probably convince Al Mualim of the things he has done are far worse than what he believes she has done." I paused for a moment as my eyes trailed to the floor in deep thought. "There is something about that man – Abel – that does not seem right. He seems much too full of himself, despite not showing to the civilians nearby. I can somehow sense it from afar."

"He is probably more of a child than Cynthia herself," Malik muttered in response, pulling out a feather and placing on the table. "I would not be surprised to hear that from the girl when you return."

I picked up the feather and put it away as I spoke, "I do not believe that is the case, Malik. Cynthia seems to know how to hold her own, and I think she knows when to speak her mind if and when the time arises."

"Much like her little argument with her supposed fiancé yesterday." The Dai spoke, writing something on a map of Jerusalem. I nodded in a silently response as he continued, "Well, whether or not she can hold her own is not your problem nor is it mine. She must be killed. Master's orders."

I lowered my head slightly, staring at the ground before me as thoughts started to cross my mind. Something inside told me what I was about to do was wrong, which was rare coming from someone who never questioned the Master for anything. Whatever that feeling was constantly told me to spare Cynthia's life, for she seemed way too innocent to cause trouble within Jerusalem. It was as if my conscious was telling me to defy Al Mualim's orders and leave her be, forget that she was ever a threat to the Brotherhood, which by the looks of it appeared she did not. However, if I refused to kill her, I would be punished more harshly compared to what Al Mualim did because of what happened at Solomon's Temple. It was bad enough we nearly lost the Piece of Eden to Robert de Sable, but to kill the one person who may have been able to lead me to him would only make matters worse on our part. Who knows what kind of pain the Master would inflict to me if I refused to kill even _one_ Templar. I could not disobey him like that again. Not like last time.

"You are right, I suppose…" I muttered, walking out of the room at a slow pace as I continued to think to myself, "but still, there is something about her that makes her – _too innocent – _to cause any kind of trouble..."

I sensed Malik look over at me at my response, but said nothing to ask me if I was all right. To be honest, if he did ask me, I would not know how to answer him. For once, I was too confused to figure out if I was fine or not.

**_Cynthia's POV_**

"Is everything ready to go?" I asked my friends the moment I exited the building unnoticed.

It did not take very long for me to leave the building without bringing any suspicion to me – the only exception was the run in with the maid at my bedroom door. Surprisingly, she did not tell or mention to anyone about how I decided to put on my uniform once again and "go for a walk" around the city when I should have been preparing for the wedding instead. Even though it seemed odd that I would be doing this now of all times, she did not seem to mention anything else about it. However, I could not take my chances with her thinking about my leaving or mentioning it to someone nearby by accident, causing an uproar. Luckily, I left without anyone catching me or wondering where I was headed toward. Hopefully, the young maid would not go off and tell someone about my leaving without preparing for the wedding. Maybe she would keep silent and not speak to anyone about my absence. "Hopefully" and "maybe" being the key words in this situation.

All three young women nodded in my direction, smiles on every single one of their faces. They were just as excited and happy to leave as I was. In fact, maybe even more than I was, since their expressions said it all.

"Yes. Everything should be in place," Ada said, placing a hand on her hip. "We should be heading out the second we leave."

"The road to Damascus is all cleared," Alexandra spoke, "I checked everything over with one of our spies, so we should be able to make it to Damascus before noon tomorrow."

"And if that does not work," Diana added, "I made sure the way to Acre was cleared as well, and should we head to Acre, we would arrive sooner than noon. But, I think we should be alright either way."

I smiled warmly at all three of them. It really, truly was great to have every single one of them around. Who knew what would happen if I never met these people in my life?

"Alright," I spoke with a confident smile on my lips. "Then let's get the Hell out of here, and fast!"

With that said, the four of us immediately began moving through the nearly crowded streets of Jerusalem, gently pushing or slipping past passed the few civilians that had gotten in the way so as to not arouse suspicion. I soon felt a strong sense of adrenaline coursing through my veins with every step I took toward the gates leading out of the city, keeping me in motion without a split thought of looking back or stopping to even catch a single breath for fear of someone recognizing who I was or what I was up to. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt the freedom I strongly desired. Not the kind of free that meant I did not have anything to do, but the kind that made me feel like a bird soaring through the skies. Not a single one of my bodyguards followed me around and kept a close eye on me any longer. No one was there to tell me what to do or how to act when around new people, new faces. Even better, no one was able to tell me how great a man Abel was to everyone and how great a king he would be one day. I may have had to hear about it occasionally, but I knew that I was not going to be getting married to him any time soon.

Since the day I had accepted that man's proposal so many months ago, I had felt locked away from the entire world, unable to see the sunlight or feel the winds of freedom under my wings like everyone else around me. I felt so confined in a cage specially made by Abel to keep me out of the light, away from the freedom I dreamt of grasping for so long. I felt that way even around my own father, who had forced me into all of this simply because he wanted someone who was noble to take the throne instead of a "child" like me. I felt as free as an eagle soaring through the skies and away from the grounds of the earth below. A feeling inside of me coursed through me, telling me we were going to pass through the gates of Jerusalem and make our way to Damascus. It was telling me that we were going to reach the freedom we had desired for so long. It was telling me we would no longer need to see or stick to the ground that was once our lives. Unfortunately, that feeling that I had was something completely different than what my mind made it out to be.

A shriek suddenly sounded throughout the area closest to me, forcing me to stop dead in my tracks and turn around to find out what it was. The sound echoed briefly, grabbing the unwanted attention of passersby and bringing them closer than expected. Ada and Alexandra also stopped and turned around as well to figure out what was going on and where the sound had come from. A crowd of civilians soon began forming around where the shriek had come from, making my heart rate speed up and my stomach turn into knots. They were _dangerously_ close to us, close to figuring us out and what we were doing out in the city instead of preparing for the wedding. Ada and Alexandra ran into said crowd without hesitation, while I quickly followed suit. I did my best to not to be noticed by any civilian I passed by keeping my head low and toward the ground, trying not to compromise the plan at hand. At the same time, I had to figure out what had happened. Once I pushed through the crowd completely and unnoticed, I looked down to find a shocking sight...

Diana was on her knees, gripping her shoulder and moaning in pain; her head hanged low slightly and her body shivered. The blood started to seep through her clothing and stain. Fear began to spread through my as I quickly realized she was injured and in pain. Her shoulder was bleeding profusely and she was already panting, whimpering, and moaning in pain all while gripping her shoulder in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. Ada was trying to stop the bleeding with a cloth she pulled out of her pouch, while Alexandra knelt next to her and held an object in her hand. To my surprise, it was a small knife covered in blood, Diana's blood. It was clear in my mind that, no doubt, someone had hurt her...badly. Who it was frightened me even more. Although I could not tell who it was at the moment, I feared it was the work of Abel. I feared he may have found out about our plan of escape and immediately sent people out to stop us and bring us back before we had the chance to leave. If that happened to be the case, we could not stay any longer than we should have.

"What happened," I questioned frantically; in the back of my mind, I already knew the answer to my question.

Alexandra looked up at me, gripping the small knife in her hand rather tightly. It was clear in her eyes that she was very upset about her friend being hurt.

"Someone threw a knife at her," she hissed angrily. "Who it was...I do not know for..." I looked back at Diana, who was still whimpering a little, but was holding in the pain very well by now. Ada looked over at Alexandra and I.

"She will be alright," she spoke up, looking up at me, "but we have to keep moving or we will be exposed to the guards."

Instead of listening to what she had to say, I quickly began looking around the area, hoping to find anything suspicious as to who it was that threw the knife and injured my childhood friend. My head still remained low as the crowd still surrounded us and wondered what was going on. A feeling of exacting revenge surged through my body as I scanned the area around me, trying to find anyone acting suspicious. I could not find anything at first, which brought my thoughts of exacting revenge to minimum. When I was on the verge of giving up, however, something suddenly caught my eye, something..._white_…and flowing against the winds. My eyes widened slightly in realization; I knew now what, or who I should say, it was that had halted our attempted escape. It was a lone figure standing on top of a nearby building and looking down at the scene sitting before him, staring down at the crowd watching my injured friend writhe in pain and agony. His posture displayed a look of calmness, as if the sight had no affect on him. His expression, shielded and unreadable due to the distance, felt as if they were latched onto my form. It was as if he was coaxing me to follow, trying to pry at my emotions and hunt him down.

My fists quickly clenched with anger, and my eyes began glaring at the figure. It was an all too familiar sight; it was the sight of...

"An Assassin…"

Ada and Alexandra looked up at me, confused expressions written on their faces.

"What?" Ada spoke, her voice matching her expression. I did not respond to her question.

"Move on without me, all of you." Now, the two stared at me in shock, wondering why I suddenly told them to leave without them. Only this time, Diana slowly looked up at me, the pain clear on her face.

"But…w-why," she questioned through gritted teeth. "We cannot…we cannot leave you behind...! W-w-we are in this...together!"

"I am going after the Assassin that injured you," I told them in a grim tone of voice. "He will not get away, but pay for his crimes."

Before any of them had a chance to protest, I was already running through the crowd of civilians, leaving them behind to save themselves. Once I reached the building in which the Assassin stood on, I quickly ran into the alleyway closest to it and began climbing the building with haste. Although I worried little about receiving stares from passersby, something in the back of my mind told me to still try to avoid any gazes or arouse suspicion. Unfortunately, it may have been too late with Diana and the others, as they would have been exposed immediately due to the civilians and the guards nearby. Climbing onto the top of the building, I immediately noticed the Assassin running in the opposite direction from where I stood, luring me away from everyone else, luring me away from society and taking me off to some secret place. I growled in annoyance at the fact that he was running away from me like a coward, and quickly began chasing after him, leaping across buildings just as he was in an attempt to catch up with him. It felt like an annoying little game of cat and mouse; him being the sneaky little white mouse, and I the stupidly predictable and very gullible cat. With every jump that brought me closer to the Assassin, he seemed to move even further away from me. By now, he was already getting on my last nerve.

Upset and frustrated, I pulled out a small knife from my pouch - one I carried everywhere with me just in case - and threw it in his direction. It did not take long for it to hit him just below his shoulder blade, similar to what he had done with Diana. An eye for eye, I thought as I smirked. He jumped onto the next building and came to a stop, gripping his bleeding shoulder but showing no signs of pain at all. I jumped onto the same building and stopped as well, but kept my distance from him. I stood up straight and stared at the Assassin with a blank expression. He wore a long white robe that was slowly becoming stained with the red hue of his blood with a white hood that covered his face. Armor was strapped to his waist and arms, and there were weapons strapped to his waist as well as a red scarf like cloth. His back was towards me, so I was not exactly sure what he was thinking at the present time.

I glared at the assassin for a long moment, before calling to him, "Who are you?" He did not respond to my question. He simply stood there, as if he were waiting for something to happen. His silence further annoyed me and I went on, "I asked you a question, Assassin! Now answer me!"

"I will answer all of your questions, daughter of Richard," he finally spoke, surprising me as he turned to face me completely, "once you are _dead _and out of the way."

Before I knew what was going on or what he meant by those words, the Assassin was suddenly on top of me - literally speaking - with a hidden blade in hand and ready to stab me in the throat. I quickly found myself yelping in shock and instinctively holding back a hidden blade that had come out of his wrist all while holding me down by my shoulder. He was much stronger than I, even though he was straddling me at the present moment, and already I could feel my hands becoming moist with sweat, bringing the blade that much closer to me. Because of that, I was struggling to hold him back. Not only was my grip slipping with every passing second, his weight was hitching my breathing. Suddenly, I coughed once due to the lack of air in my lungs, causing the blade to move closer to my neck and graze it just a bit, slicing it open and allowing some blood to trickle down to the floor. My heart pounded against my chest. Beads of sweat ran down my face as I shakily yet firmly held his wrist back to avoid any lethal contact with the blade. I would have started screaming for help from anyone nearby if it was not for him more or less sitting on me; I would have fought back were it not for the fact that I was weaponless and currently losing strength.

_This is it_, I suddenly thought to myself. _This was the end._ I knew it was only a matter of time before my strength would wither away completely, and my life would be taken away from me by the Assassin once and for all. My spirit would leave my body to wither away with time. At that thought, however, my fear suddenly seemed to slip away from me; it was almost as if realization finally slapped me across the face and opened my eyes. No longer did seem as afraid as I thought I would be when I came face-to-face with the death I had feared all my life. For some reason, I no longer seem to care if I lived to see the next day or not. With what I had to deal with now, I would not care if the man, who was ready to end my life in a heartbeat, ended me right now without a second thought and left my body to rot while my soul was sent off to Heaven. When I thought about it, I would much rather be dead than be forced into a marriage I did not want to happen. I would rather be a lifeless corpse than to marry a selfish man with greedy and horrible intentions. Now that I truly thought of it, death...did not seem like that a bad of an idea. It was the best way to escape all the hardships of life, all the pain and suffering, for good and actually be..._free_.

A strained sigh slowly escaped my lips, bringing the blade that much closer to me and causing more blood to flow out of my neck, as I slowly glanced up at the Assassin. By now, the fear that had consumed me had left my body, and now it was filled with the want, the need, the desire, to die.

"J...just a…moment, Assassin," I spoke in a weak and struggled tone tone. Despite the fact his face shielded by a hood, I could tell his eyes glared down at me.

"What is it, woman?" He questioned in a harsh tone. There was no mercy in his voice, yet I was not very surprised by that. "Be happy that I am giving you a chance to speak before ending your life."

I was unfazed by his tone and remained as calm as I could

"M-may I at least…know your name…before I die?" I asked, stuttering a bit as I spoke. He remained silent for a few seconds, but continued to glare at me. I could sense him staring down at me, and from the angle I was currently placed in, I realized his eyes were most likely a shade of dark brown. I waited patiently for him to respond to my request, remaining silent the entire time. After another few moments of silence, the pressure from the wrist I was currently holding back disappeared, and the grip on my shoulder loosened only slightly, remaining so as to not let me go. Thankfully, he was giving me a few more words to say before I died, something I was grateful for.

"Altaïr," he spoke, his voice still a bit harsh "Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad."

A smile appeared on my face as I looked up at him.

"Altaïr?" I muttered more to myself. "That is a name I do not hear all that much around here...but..." I paused for a moment, glancing past his shielded face and toward the sky for a moment before looking back at him, "...but I like it..."

"Why do you wish to know my name, Templar?" He questioned, holding the blade closer to my neck, close enough for the blade to just graze the skin. At that moment, I immediately felt at ease. It was at that point that truly did not feel fear any longer. I would finally be freed from the torment of life, of dealing with Abel treating me harshly, of worrying about my own father claiming I could not handle my own in life. Who knows? Maybe I deserved it all from the start. Maybe karma was turning right back around to stab me in the back for whatever it was that I had done wrong.

In silence, I closed my eyes and turned my head upward a little, giving him full access to end my life right there and then.

"I wanted to know your name," I finally spoke slowly, "because I wanted to know the name of the Assassin who took away my pain, my suffering…through death. And…and I would like to say thank you, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, for taking away that pain." I paused for thought, looking back at the sky. "To be honest, it is...strange for me to being so accepting of death when I have feared it for so long. When I still had so much to do."

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

"All I wanted to do…was protect my people from any and all evil, from those who wish to do them harm." I explained to him. "That was all I ever wanted to do for them, to give them a life best suited for everyone. Unfortunately, I...I do not feel I am…strong enough to do just that. I realize now that…maybe I never was. They respect me and appreciate the help I work so hard to give them, yet they are so blinded by lies and deception to see or hear to troubles that I spoke of in recent times." I shook my head a little. "They see me as...nothing but a young child, just like my father. They still think I am too young, too naïve to understand life. It is as if everything that I worked so hard to accomplish – giving them happiness and a peace of mind – has been forgotten." His gaze turned blank at those words. "But...I am speaking too much before my demise. Besides..." I closed my eyes. "...what good are the words of a dead woman, anyway?"

With those words spoken, I slowly released my grip on his wrist and allowed my arms to just fall onto my chest. I waited patiently for death's embrace to take me away from this world once and for all, to finish me off and send me to Lord Himself. Thoughts began to race in my mind as I waited expectantly for my coming demise, thoughts that made me feel happy: Never again would I have to see Abel play innocent with the people around him, _my_ people, and deceive them with his lies of prosperity. Never again would I have to deal with the frustration of his fake personality, one that had swindled the civilians of the Kingdom for too long. Never again would I have to worry about my father treating me like the child he sees me as. Never again would I have to worry about ruling the land with an iron fist like my father before me. Never again did I have to worry about the hardships that were to come in the future. As of now, the only thing I could truly, and for the rest of eternity, worry about...was my everlasting freedom. However, that feeling of overwhelming darkness never came to me. Death did not appear before my own eyes and whisk me away to an unknown place, a place where I could be free forever. The blade of the Assassin did not penetrate my skin as I lied there, allowing him to take my life and end it all. What was going on? Forest green eyes slowly opened before I looked up at him, wondering why he was no doing anything to finish me just like he had planned. Under his hood, I could see a shocking look of slight sympathy written across his near hidden features. My eyes widened slightly at the sight before me. Was he…did he actually have the heart to listen to every word I had to say? Those eyes holding a look of sympathy meant he, for some reason, listened intently to my words of my new found desire for death. His voice, though, gave a completely different impression.

"You speak like a person who has gone through many hardships in life, not like some murderer or corrupted Templar forcing your way of life unto others," he spoke in a blank tone, his hidden blade disappearing. He remained cautious, though, yet I did complain. I would have been the same if I were in his position. I blinked once as he lowered his arm so that it was placed right next to my body, unconsciously, of course, but at the same time felt as if he was making sure I would not pull anything sneaky against. "You appear to be a strong individual, even going so far as to hunt me down and attempt to kill me."

"I chased after to you to exact revenge for my friend," I responded truthfully, moving to a position where I leaned against my elbows, bringing myself closer to him unconsciously. The close contact helped me get a better look at his features and take in his scent. At the present time, he smelled of blood and dirt, a strange yet intoxicating combination. "You had injured my friend, Diana Rousseau, and needed to injure you, or if given the opportunity kill you, in some way to make it..._even_, for lack of a better term."

"How would that be revenge," he questioned, looking over me as if he were studying features as well, "if she was not the one who injured me?"

I shrugged absently, keeping a calm yet strong composure.

"In a way, I had gotten revenge for her." I explained, looking away for a moment. I was wondering if the others were able to escape, but something told me otherwise. "Since she was injured and I thought I would never see you again, I decided to go after you in her stead to exact revenge for her." A small smile graced my lips. "An eye for an eye, I would like to say, but only in a manner of speaking, since it is I who chased after you, not her."

He studied my face a little more, before closing his dark hues.

"Smart woman," he muttered, moving away from my face at my answer. Then, he suddenly returned to his feet, allowing to me to catch my breath for a moment. "You must be very close to your friends if you are willing to chase after an Assassin."

"I am…" I responded, returning to my feet while unconsciously placing a hand on my hilt in case he tried to do anything to try and kill me. "They...they mean everything to me. They have been there to keep me...sane, even if was for a little while."

I sensed his expression become confused by my words as he asked, "Then why is it that you have allowed me to kill you? You care deeply for your friends, yet you accept death so calmly and easily."

I shrugged and looked up at the sky.

"I...I am not so sure myself, really," I said in a low tone of voice. "To be honest, I guess...all the thoughts of the misfortunes of my life, as conceited as it sounds, came to me much faster than if I continued to try and defend myself. Besides," I glanced back at him, "what good is it to fear death when everyone knows it is not only inevitable but can end the suffering we must endure?"

"You see death as a means of escaping pain," he spoke. It sounded like a statement more than a question, but I answered with a shake of my head.

"No, not exactly. In fact, I see death as...more of a means to reach eternal freedom. Freedom from pain, freedom from torture, freedom from the misfortunes that inflicts all life."

Altaïr's head lowered slightly, as if he were staring at the ground, and said, "Much like what you are going through."

Knowing it was a statement, I turned away from and nodded.

"Yes." I replied. "Similar to what I am going through."

"But you know, not everyone is the same as you are. Everyone has different hardships in their life."

"Yes, you are right. Not everyone is dealing with...with a distant familial relationship with a parent resulted from an unsought and undesired wedding." I turned my head to look at him. "Still, that does not mean death cannot save them from the problems they are forced to live with."

It took him a moment to figure out what I had meant by my words before speaking, "I assume Abel is the reason you and your father are distant."

I was not surprised by how he knew the name of my fiancé, and I did not question it as I responded, "Not entirely...but yes. He is one of the reasons behind it."

"Then it is true what you say: he is not what people make him out to be."

"He has...an evil aura surrounding him," I explained, making sure my blade was securely fastened. "One I can see through easily when we are alone, yet not many others can see him publicly for what he really is." I sighed and ran a hand through my brown locks frustratedly, praying that the man in question did not catch up to my friends. "I suppose...that was another reason why I wanted you to end my life," I continued in a lower tone of voice. "I have been trying to tell my people about him, to let them know what kind of man he was, before it was too late. I even tried to convince my father of Abel's evil intentions for the Kingdom. I guess their disregard of the matter greatly affected me."

"The disinterest of a parent is more effective than the people he controls," he stated. "Not everyone in this land is your family."

My green eyes looked at him.

"But I had always treated them as such. I had always thought of the Kingdom first before I thought of myself. They are what really matter in this world in the end, and treating them with some respect and compassion will help in the long run. Yet..." I looked back up at the sky, spotting a bird flying overhead, which I believed was a dove due to the small size. "They only see me as a nervous young bride instead of a worried human being watching over their well-being as well as the well-being of the Kingdom. It seems...they have forgotten the only person who had the strength and empathy to stand up for their rights as people."

"I do not believe they have forgotten just yet," Altaïr stated, making me glance over at him. "It is just as I said; everyone has hardships, different or similar to one another."

I remained silent for a long moment before smiling a bit and saying, "I suppose… you are right, Altaïr..."

"Cynthia! Where are you?" The familiar voice of Alexandra Benedek beckoned me.

Blinking with a bit of surprise, I turned my head in the direction it had come from, but that was all I was able to do. All of a sudden, I felt a sharp pain appear in my side, shooting throughout the rest of my body. Before I had a chance to scream out loud with surprise, a hand covered my mouth, muffling my alarmed scream. My hands flew up to the hand covering my lips, attempting to pry them off me and scream for help or in pain to grab someone's attention, but I suddenly started to feel a bit lightheaded. The pain in my side remained, yet the object was swiftly removed as soon as it came. The warmth of blood began staining my attire, making me even more lightheaded than before. However, instead of collapsing to the ground, an arm snaked around my waist quickly as I was gently placed onto the ground. Forest green eyes widened slightly as I realized that the person who had not only placed me on the ground but stabbed me...was Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad himself!

"You...you bastard...!" I hissed weakly, eyes narrowing slightly more out of pain than anger.

"Relax," he spoke, taking out something that looked a lot like a feather and gently placing it on my wound. "You may have been injured by my blade, but you will not die today."

"Then what was the point of stabbing me?" I questioned, becoming a bit confused. "Are you trying to play some game?"

He stared at me for a long moment as he put the feather away.

"You are my target, and I was sent here to kill you by my Master." He explained. "Unfortunately, he did not give me a proper reason for your demise, yet I did as I was supposed to do. However, from the words you have spoken to me, you do not appear nor do you sound like any of the other corrupted Templars that I have killed before. Instead...you are innocent, as innocent as any civilian in the Kingdom, despite being a Templar yourself. And killing the innocent," He paused as he got to his feet, "is forbidden within the Assassins. Therefore, I am allowing you to live..._for now_."

My eyes widened slightly with surprise, but before I had time to say anything else in question, he was gone, leaving me behind with an injured side and a pool of my own blood. It started to pool around me, but at the moment I did not seem to notice that much. Confusion began to fill my features as I lied there silently, but before I had time to wonder what he meant, my lightheadedness kicked in once more, causing my eyes to slowly droop shut. The last thing that appeared before my eyes was the same bird – the same dove – flying overhead.


	4. Two Days Later

_**Two Days Later...**_

_**May 8, 1191**_

_**Cynthia's POV**_

"Come on, Cynthia! You have to tell us what happened," exclaimed Ada as she leaned against my dresser but still appearing just as jumpy as her tone of voice. I smiled at her excitement, but shook my head as I lied down on my bed, my hands placed behind my head.

"You cannot ignore us about that man forever, you know." Stated Alexandra. "We have to know who he is and why he left you alive when you should have been killed."

Two days had passed since I last saw Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, the Assassin that was so close to ending the suffering and hardships in this life of mine once and for all. The injured he had inflicted on me was deep and appeared as if it would, indeed, kill me – it had penetrated my side and exited through the other side – yet his words were true. They were not enough to completely finish me off completely. Since then, I constantly wondered why he so calmly decided to let me live the way he did despite the orders that had been given to him by his Master. Alexandra, after finding my unconscious body, became outraged over the fact that he left me to die, but was unable to do anything to seek revenge as she could not find him. Before she came up with any rash ideas, I told her to let it go, knowing we would never hear from the Assassin again. However, somewhere deep in the back of my mind, my words felt like a lie. Deep down, I had the feeling that our paths would, one day, cross again. When that day was to come was beyond my knowledge, yet it made me anticipate his return, wondering if he would come back to finish me off. Besides, it was doubtful that he would ever try to return, what with everything that was going on.

On another topic of interest, after having been taken to a doctor for her wounded shoulder, Diana had been healing for the past two days since the failure of our escape. The doctor told us that she was going to be fine and will live for a while longer, since the wound was not deep enough to kill her or have the need to be amputated. However, they said she would have to refrain from moving her arm too much to keep her wound closed and fully heal properly, which meant she could not work for a good week or so. As much as she hated the idea of not using her injured arm for an extended period of time, she followed their request and said nothing else. Instead, whenever I had time to visit her, she would constantly talk about how she was going to find and kill the Assassin who injured her. As a friend, I had to agree with her, since I understood where she was coming from. However, my heart and mind constantly seemed to tell me otherwise, as if I wanted him to stay alive for just a little longer.

During the time that Diana went to the doctor to get her arm checked out, Ada and Alexandra would search for me and, when they did, question me about Altaïr and how I was able to live after chasing him down. Not only that, but they wanted to know who he was in general and why he suddenly came when he did, out of nowhere and on the day that I was to be married. I did not have an exact answer other than the fact he was out to kill me by order of his Master, so I kept my mouth shut and continuously told them the same thing every time: "I'm not telling because I don't know." However, instead of just dropping the subject as I had wanted from the start, they continued to nag me about him, obviously not accepting the answer I gave them. They wanted a straightforward answer, not some answer that gave them nothing but mysteries and wonders about the stranger than nearly took my life.

_But that is how Altaïr was_, I thought to myself. _Mysterious and wondrous at the same time, leaving me behind to wonder what he was up to for two long days_.

Ada sighed with frustration while I looked away, having given her my usual response.

"Please tell us what happened, Cynthia!" She begged. "We have to know! This man has to pay for what he did to you!"

"I told you already," I responded truthfully. "I don't know what happened."

"You have to know _something_," Alexandra said, leaning in her seat a bit. "I mean, _you_ were the one who chased him down to exact revenge, yet it was _you_ I found lying unconscious on the ground from a stab wound, not the Assassin." She pursed her lips. "Clearly, something must have happened."

I sighed frustratedly, unable to repeat the response for the umpteenth time.

"If you _must_ know," I started, "the reason I was left unconscious by the Assassin was because he claimed I was too innocent to kill. And killing the innocent was against...um, something. I don't remember, but he was not allowed to do so."

"That doesn't explain why he stabbed you," Ada pointed out. "If he claims that killing the innocent is against whatever law he and the Assassins follow, why would he stab you?"

"A ruse, maybe?" I stated. "He said that his Master had ordered my demise. For what reason, I don't know. Maybe, he stabbed me to make it seem as if I had been killed, in case someone was watching...?"

Alexandra shrugged, twirling a piece of dark colored hair.

"It's possible, but I don't think we will find out unless we asked him in person." She said. "Unfortunately, it will be impossible to find him these days. With the guards patrolling the area constantly, especially after having seen you injured, there would be no way we could go searching for him without being watched."

My face fell as I sighed, feeling a little defeated after hearing those words.

"I suppose you're right," I stated.

"Well, on the bright side of this situation is that you are alive." Ada said with a grin. "Not only that, but we will have to make sure he does not come anywhere near you again, whether those guards are out more often or not. It will be us who protects you more often than them!"

I sighed before sitting on the edge of my bed completely.

"Do not worry," I said with a warm, reassuring smile. "I can take care of myself. I will not allow that Assassin to have a single chance to at killing me. Or try, anyway."

"Which reminds me," spoke up Alexandra, putting on her usual sly smirk. "What _is_ the Assassin's name? You never told us."

I stared at her for a moment before looking up at the ceiling. It took me a moment to respond, since I was busy replaying his name in my head several times to make sure I got it right.

"His name," I started, "is Altaïr. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad."

"What an exotic name," said Ada, scratching her head lightly as her eyebrows furrowed. She, then, started to mouth his name a few times, trying to figure out how to pronounce it correctly.

Alexandra chuckled lightly as the Swedish woman continued this action a few times.

"Did he tell you himself?" She questioned me teasingly, returning her attention back to me and raising a mischievous eyebrow.

"Of course he did. He told me because...because he wanted me to remember the man who killed me for the rest of eternity."

"Sounds really arrogant," Alexandra stated. Fortunately, she did not see through my lie and realize that it was actually the other way around; _I_ asked _him _for his name in order to remember him as the man who ended my suffering. "All the more entertaining when I find and kill him. Shove that arrogance in a place where the sun never shines.

I laughed at the Hungarian's expected choice of words. Alexandra was one of the only people that I knew of, one that no man would ever think of bothering. She was an extremely strong individual, able to stand up for herself when men try to put her down. Some would see her as stubborn, only seeing one way or situations and nothing else, but it was not a bad habit. She had been that way for many years of her childhood. According to her, she had been that way ever since she left Hungary – her home land – many years ago. I believed it was all her parents doing, and I wanted to thank them for raising such a inspiring young woman as Alexandra. However, the Hungarian woman said that, although she respected her parents, they would have disowned her for even thinking the thoughts that she had come up these days. Despite the depressing words she had spoken, though, she always put on a smile and changed the subject immediately. I guess that was what I appreciated the most about Alexandra: her ability to pick herself off the ground and stand tall, whether it is the annoying and arrogant men of today or the memories of her long forgotten past that did it.

After a few minutes, a knock sounded from my bedroom door. We all look toward it and stared at it for a few seconds, wondering if the person knew it was open or not. Realizing that the person obviously did not as they had knocked a second time, I sighed, got to my feet, and walked over to the door. Opening the door, I smiled as I found that it was Diana standing at the door. She looked good as new, but still held her bandaged arm just to be sure she would not move it around. She returned the friendly smile with on of her own, both of her dimples showing themselves.

"You look a lot better today," I spoke.

She ran a hand through her auburn hair with her uninjured arm.

"And I feel better, too." She stated, making a fist with her free hand as if she were much stronger. "Though my hand still feels a little numb at the moment, I feel great!"

I chuckled and invited her into my room so the other two girls could see her.

"Hello, Diana," said Ada, waving lightly to the injured auburn haired woman.

"We were just talking about the Assassin that almost killed you the other day," Alexandra told her as I sat down on my bed once more.

Diana growled in anger as she sat down next to me, a pouty expression revealing itself on her face.

"If I ever find that murderer, I swear he is going to know the _true_ meaning of pain," she snapped.

Alexandra chuckled at Diana's ranting words while I sat there smiling.

"I was just saying the same thing just a moment ago," she said. "Odd, is it not? How minds always think the same."

"The both of you have always been smart," I stated, "but you cannot forget the who planned the escape."

"Only for it to fail," Alexandra teased.

I rolled my eyes at the comment, but smiled nonetheless. Diana looked at me.

"Hey, I heard that you were injured by the same Assassin," she said. "How is that wound of yours doing?"

I blinked at her question before looking down toward the wound. Lifting my shirt a bit, I looked at the bandage that wrapped around my abdomen. Fortunately, the wound did not open – again, since it opened at least once – and was healing rather well.

"Well, seeing as I had gotten these bandages just yesterday," I told her, my green hues looking back at the blue eyed French woman, "it seems to be healing well. I'm still surprised Abel did not notice the injury the Assassin inflicted."

"Probably would not care are that much anyway," said the Hungarian woman, blinking her brown eyes as she placed her chin on her hand. "There are a lot of things that pass by that man – the exception being money and attention."

I shrugged and nodded.

"Good point," I pursed my lips.

"That reminds me!" Ada exclaimed, her eyebrows furrowing. We looked at her as she went on, "The wedding is still on. And it's in a month from now!"

Alexandra groaned, suddenly remembering the news, while I rolled my eyes at the thought. How could we have forgotten about that? Despite everything that had happened, after Diana and I came back with injuries, Abel barely noticed at all. Instead, he postponed the wedding until next month, just to be sure everything was in order and in case there was something else he wanted to throw in for "the perfect wedding." When he realized what had happened with Diana and I, he disregarded us. At least he had the mind to send a doctor to aid us, but that was about it. I knew from the look in his eyes, though, that he was thoroughly upset with the fact that I made even the slightest attempt at escaping "the inevitable," or so he claimed. Unfortunately for him, he did not want to say anything to me with other people around watching. From what I saw, I knew he was trying to keep up the façade that everyone seemed to adore so much. He still have enough time to frustrate me, probably as a bit of revenge for trying to escape him. _Why am I not surprised...?_

"Yes, but we _do_ have a month," Diana pointed out, grinning like a child given a reward for a good deed. "We have plenty of time to do as we please!"

I fell back onto my bed, folded my hands on my stomach, and stared at the ceiling with my forest green eyes.

"That, _and_ it gives us enough time to plan another escape," I smirked mischievously. "There may be some more guards keeping watch in the city, but that does not mean we cannot find a hole to slither through."

Alexandra sighed and shook her head, but smiled nonetheless.

"You have always had a knack for coming up with devious schemes, you know?" She questioned, earning a laugh from me.

"And _you_ have a habit of starting fights with men simply because they look at you the wrong way," I teased, earning a light blush from Alexandra.

"It's because no man looks at what does not belong to them!" She stated, crossing her arms across her chest. "I belong to no man! I am not property! I belong only to myself!"

Ada laughed and said, "Yes, but how long will that be until we find you lying in bed? In the arms of a man?"

Alexandra playfully glared in her direction, earning a laugh from the rest of us, as she blushed profusely. However, it did not take her long to crack a smile and join us in our laughter.

_**Altaïr's POV**_

"So you have returned from the dead, I see." Malik glared at me as I silently re-entered the room of the Assassin's Bureau. "I assumed you were killed the other, since you had not returned to the Bureau."

Two long days had passed by since I last saw Cynthia Richard, the woman whom I had left alive. The thought of her being alive for this long still plagued my mind, since I chose to let her live to the fact that she was innocent. The fact that the Master had ordered me to kill her made me wonder if it was true that her innocence was real at all. However, for some reason, I felt as if I had done the right thing keeping her alive the way I did. Judging by her words and the compassion she felt toward her people, she sounded nothing like I had anticipated; corrupted and seeking peace in the wrong ways. Also, it appeared as if she were running away. Was she running away from her wedding which she but she had all ready made plans to run away from her wedding to begin with. No woman would be crazy enough to attempt to run away from her wedding, but it was clear Cynthia was determined to get away from her fiancé.

I shrugged absently.

"When I killed Cynthia, the guards had caught me just as I was making my escape and imprisoned me," I explained. "Fortunately, I was able to escape, but had to remain hiding until the uproar settled." As I spoke, I pulled out the feather stained with Cynthia's blood. "As for Cynthia, she was much like the others – arrogant and selfish – but had befallen the same fate as those before her." 

He observed the feather closely before looking back down at his work.

"Very well," he said as I put the feather away. "But I am surprised, Altaïr. A man of your..._skill_," I sensed the sarcasm in his voice, "was able to be captured by the guards so easily."

I sighed with frustration.

"Let's just say...that I was caught off guard," I told him.

He rolled his eyes before returning to his work once more.

"Still, I am surprised," he commented. "I am surprised by how important this target was, a woman no less, to the Templars." He glanced at me. "Al Mualim surely would not turn a blind eye in the direction of that weakling."

My eyes narrowed slightly at his words slightly.

"Never underestimate women, Malik." I said. He raised an eyebrow at my words, and I continued, "One can never understand the extent of a woman's power in society, whether they are accepted or not."

"So says the man who believes women should _never_ be a part of the Brotherhood," he remarked, causing my glare to harden. "You and the Master are so much alike it's...rather odd."

"I only say that because I do not believe women should put their lives on the line for others, not because I believe they are weak." I told him as I turned and began leaving the room.

"Where are you going?" He questioned.

"Out," I responded without turning back to him.

"Feel the need to explore after your escape, I see." He stated. "You just do not feel the need to stay away from the danger of losing your life."

Instead of retorting with a comeback, I remained silent and simply walked out. Just before I left, I sense his curious and confused gaze watch me for a long moment. Instead of reassuring him that there was nothing wrong at all, I chose to ignored it and quickly leave the room. After climbing out of the Assassin's Bureau in silence, I looked around before jumping across a few more rooftops. I wanted to be sure that I was at a safe distance from the bureau, away from Malik. When I felt that I was safe for the time being, I abruptly stopping in my spot. I slowly glanced over my shoulder, looking in the direction I had departed from. A gust of wind brushed past me Then, after another long moment of silence and looking around, I sighed as I pulled out the bloody feather I had shown to Malik. I stared at it intently, staring at the divide between the white of the feather and the blood that belonged to the daughter of Richard. After another moment, I sighed and looked up at the sky as it slowly changed from twilight to nighttime.

"It's a shame, Malik," I muttered, closing my eyes, "that you were unable to see through my lie."


	5. A Rose in the Field of Weeds

_**Cynthia's POV**_

_**That Night...**_

I silently lied in my bed, blankets lying over me comfortably, for what seemed like a few hours. Night time had arrived so quickly, yet I did not seem to notice it all that much. In fact, I was much too distracted to even tell what time of day it was anymore. My mind was on other things at hand; the other things happening to be why I was still alive and breathing, awaiting the arrival of my wedding. Not only was I thinking of that, but I was busy thinking of Altaïr as well. Oddly, despite my near death experience, he never seemed to leave my mind for even a moment; not since I last saw him looming over me as a lion would their prey. My curiosity and wonder still wracked my head for answers: Why would he leave me to live when it was clear that I was his target? Was it not true that we were sworn enemies on two different sides of the scale? I sighed as I turned onto my side, away from doors leading onto my balcony. _Sworn enemies are meant to kill one another if the situation arises_, I thought to myself, _not stab them and leave them knowing the enemy would live on to see another day__._

On another note that _did not_ involve the Assassin, after having sent off the others for the day, a guard approached me and said that Abel had requested my presence in his quarters. Knowing that it may have had something to do with the other day's events of my attempted escape from the city, I, for once, decided to comply calmly. When I arrived and saw him, it was clear on his face that he appeared worried for me, as he was surrounded by civilians and guards. His eyes, however, gave another message entirely. As always, though, he did not show it to the others as he embraced me in a warm hug, telling me how much he was still worried about me and the wound that was inflicted along with other lies he came up with on the spot. I knew what he was planning. He chose to wait until the time was right to actually voice what he _really_ wanted to tell me, and it was clear I was not going to hear the end of it for a very long while. When the guard left the room he occupied by himself – I certainly was not going to stay in the same room as him – he shut the door behind him and locked it. I knew what was to come, but I stood my ground and stood tall as he turned to look at me, his eyes filled with a calm anger, one I was too familiar with.

"What the in the name of the Lord were you thinking?" He questioned, his voice matching his expression perfectly.

I blinked as I gave him a blank stare.

"I was doing what I felt I needed to do in order to get out of this wedding for good," I responded truthfully.

He shook his head as he began walking toward me at a slow pace.

"That was the one of the most ridiculous moves you ever tried to make, Cynthia," he told me. "Trying to escape your wedding by running away. That's called being a coward, you know."

"It is called having little options," I retorted angrily. "No one believes the things I say about you, the truths I speak of. So what is the point of staying here when no one believe the person they have known and respected all their lives?"

He chuckled condescendingly.

"It is because you are only a young princess, believed to be nervous for her wedding," he responded condescendingly, stopping in front of me, "and nobody wants to believe a princess with very little power in the land. They want to believe someone who is strong and caring, someone who looks out for them."

"I _am_ strong and caring _and_ someone who cares for them! They have known me longer than you, Abel," I hissed angrily. "They know that I am not some spoiled child seeking the attention of others like you."

He laughed before placing a hand on my cheek. I felt disgusted by his touch.

"They already think you are doing just that, my dear," he said. "With the amount of rumors you are starting about me, they only think you are doing so to bring more publicity to yourself."

I growled and slapped his hand away from me.

"You are wrong," I told him. "_My_ people respect me for who I am, but only believe I am nervous for a wedding I never wanted to happen!"

"It is not your decision as to whether or not you wish to be married to me," said Abel, walking past me and looking out his window. I kept my back to him as he continued, "It is your father's decision, and his alone."

"My father is nothing but...but trash," I growled. "He may be the King of this land as well as my father, but what he thinks is right is the complete opposite to me."

I sensed Abel turn to look at me.

"Whatever your father thinks is right _is_ right, Cynthia," he said. "Or have you forgotten that your father's word is law in this land?"

"My father's word is not law," I said as I walked toward his door and unlocked it, "but a disgrace to this land..."

Another sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes, remembering the conversation clearly in my head. _That man truly was going to be the death of me_, I thought. _Him and my father..._

Suddenly, I heard a low, eerie creaking sound echoing from the doors of the balcony, sending in a light chill into the room. My forest green eyes shot open immediately with surprise at the sudden sound, yet I did not move an inch of my body. Fear slowly began to consume my entire being as the low creaking noise slowly came to a eerie stop. No sounds were heard after that; only silence was the sound left behind. My heart began pounding fast and hard as the silence began to frighten me further. _Stupid me_, I told myself, nipping at my lower lip unconsciously. _I had forgotten to lock the doors before heading to bed._ Then, a thought crossed my mind. How could that be? I could have sworn I had done just that mere minutes before going to bed. Unfortunately, instead of giving myself time to think it through, I decided there was no time to worry about why it was not locked.

Slowly and cautiously, I began to sit up in my bed, my back still facing toward the balcony doors. My heart still beat rapidly against my chest, so much I thought it was going to burst out. Swallowing hard, I slowly began to turn around, my body shaking a bit out of fear. Beads of sweat ran down my face, wondering who or what was there, waiting for me to spot them. After a long moment of sitting in the eerie silence, my body quickly turned around completely, holding my breath in the process in expectance to see whomever – or whatever – had the audacity to enter my room uninvited.

However, instead of finding someone or something standing there, glaring me down with eyes so intent I would freeze, I found that the doors of my balcony were slightly ajar, the curtains flowing lightly in the wind that was entering the room. I took a moment to look around, in case something was in room, before looking back at the door. Realizing there was nothing, my shoulders sagged a bit as my forest eyes glared at the doors, annoyance replacing the fear that had consumed me. It was the just wind that had blown them open and frightened me, not some stranger. Sighing with an annoyance that matched my hard gaze, I threw the covers off me and got out of bed, my silver night gown of pure silk flowing down just below my knees as I stood up. Without a single word, I silently tiptoed over to the doors, shivering with every step I took since I was barefoot. Once I had reached the doors, I closed them softly, trying not to wake anyone else up that may have been nearby. I did not want another "runaway princess" fiasco in the middle of the night, as I was much too tired to put up a fight to defend myself at this hour of the night.

I quickly locked the doors once more and simply stood there for a long moment, my mind wandering once again. I began thinking of Altaïr once again, wondering if it was he would had frightened me, but left as soon as he came. What if it was a sign that he was still around, watching me and waiting for me to come out and see him? What if he was standing on a nearby room, watching me at that very moment, waiting to finish what he had started. I pushed the thought out of my mind. What a dumb idea, I thought. He may have wanted to kill me, but there was no way he would do it not, not when there were guards posted at my bedroom door and under my balcony. He would be caught in an instant. Then again, Assassins like him were the masters of staying hidden from the guards, so it was a possibility that he was still nearby, watching me from afar. I sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes again, placing my forehead against the cold window of my balcony door. He would still be able to get in, since the guards at my door were most likely sleeping while the guards below were much too preoccupied with the people in front of them to even look up at the buildings.

_Great_, I thought to myself. _I could be dead and no one would notice. What a reassuring thought..._

"What are you thinking, daughter of Richard?"

I jumped, nearly yelping at the new voice in my room, before turning around quickly. At first, fear began to grip at my chest, before turning to shock. My heart stopped as I spotted a lone, familiar figure sitting on my bed.

"A-Altaïr..." I spoke, still shocked to find the man I had been thinking about was now sitting on my bed, watching me intently. "It's…it's you…" I looked back at my balcony doors before looking back at him. "Y-you came in through my window…"

Altaïr shrugged and nodded.

"How else would I have gotten in here? With the guards posted at both the front door and your bedroom door, there was only one way in without alerting them."

I rolled my eyes and began walking over to him at a slow pace.

"I assume you have come to kill me in my sleep, what with you being an Assassin and all." I spoke, my voice calm and monotone. "I am sure your Master will not be pleased to find you have not killed me yet." I shrugged. "It's no trouble, really. I would not mind giving you a second chance at ending me."

To my surprise, he shook his head my words.

"No. I am not here to kill you," he told me. I looked back at him, slightly shocked to hear those words escape his lips, but said nothing as he continued, "In fact, you are already dead, so I've told my...comrade."

I gave him a confused look as I slowly continued to approach him.

"Already dead?" I questioned.

"When I stabbed you, I used the white feather you saw to take your blood," he explained. "Doing so will give the idea that I was successful in ending your life. No questions are asked, and I move on with my business."

My eyes widened. His words made it seem as if...

"You lied," I muttered. "You lied to your own brothers, created a ruse to make it seem as if I were dead!"

"I said you would live, did I not?" He questioned. "Besides, you are an innocent human being. I am not allowed to kill those who are innocent."

I shook my head as I stopped in front of him.

"How exactly did find me?" I asked, changing the topic to something more worth knowing. "You have not seen me in two days, nor have I left this building all that much since the other day's events. It seems far-fetched for you to know where I live and be able to find it so quickly."

His head lowered a bit, as if he were contemplating on whether he should say so or not. Then, he looked back at me, his hood shielding his face.

"Let us assume that...I have a lot of connections," he said.

I raised a curious eyebrow before crossing my arms over my chest.

"Sounds like a lot of people know where I live," I commented. "I will be sure to keep my doors and windows locked just in case."

Altaïr chuckled at my words.

"Whether you are in your room or within a crowd, one can never be safe from the Assassins."

I closed my eyes, laughing a little.

"That is a reassuring thought to know."

"Would you prefer if I lied to you than speak the truth?"

I thought for a long moment, considering the thought, before shrugging.

"I suppose not. Better to know the truth than keep it hidden away." Silence took over for a brief moment as my eyes narrowed lightly in wonder and curiosity. "Why have you not killed me yet?" I asked out of the blue. "I gave you the opportunity to do so, yet all you did was stab me and leave me, knowing I would survive. Why?"

He glanced at up at me, staring into my eyes from under his hood.

"So you still wish to die."

I sighed at his subtle statement before sitting down next to him, placing my hands on my knees.

"Yes and no," I responded.

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, because, as I said before, it will take away the pain and hardships that I had to endure. And no, because...well, I have my friends here. I cannot abandon them so easily and quickly."

"I suppose you are starting to see the error of your ways."

I smiled lightly.

"Seeking death is not an error in life. To me, that is." I explained. "Especially after everything that is going on between Abel and I."

"Explain."

I glanced at him, noticing him staring forward, yet I knew he was still listening. Sighing, I looked away from him.

"Nobody will believe me when I speak of Abel, when I say he is unfit to rule." I started. "He is using me and everyone else to get what he wants from us: fame, recognition, wealth, the list could go on. That is, in my opinion, the only thing he wants out of this marriage. This morning, he and I had an argument about what happened, and he claimed he could not change our fate because of my father." My eyes narrowed. "It is a lie, I know it is. My father may, now, be forcing us to marry one another, but Abel has just as much power to break off the betrothal as my own father does." I sighed before placing my face into my hands. "I do not want to do this anymore, yet there is nothing I could do to stop it. My father refuses to listen to the things I say. He thinks I am still a child in need of guidance and assumes I will be happy with Abel, while that English bastard continues to torture me with his fake hospitality toward everyone including myself. I just want someone, anyone, to just...end all this suffering for good. Whether it be through ending his life, or my own. I does not matter to me anymore."

Altaïr remained silent as he listened to my words, taking in everything that I had spoken. I slowly glanced at up at him and noticed his expression: blank and unreadable. Although it appeared to be that way, I knew that he was trying to understand all of the information that I had spoken of, relaying it through his head over and over to get a better understanding of what it was that I, as well as others (although it unbeknownst to them), was going through. He may not have understood where I was coming from to the fullest extent, knowing that I born of noble decent, but I could tell he understood my reasons for wanting and accepting death so easily as I had done two days before. His decision to let me live had to have been not just because, as he had mention many times before, that I was innocent, but because I was so willing and accepting, while others had not. I did not think that was the case, but then again I did not know Altaïr very well. There may have been things that I never would have expected to hear or come from someone as stoic as him. However, it was as I had told myself while being bothered by Ada and Alexandra: he was mysterious and wondrous in all possible aspects.

Silently, I glanced downward at Altaïr's gloved hands, taking notice to his missing ring finger on his left hand. I blinked once before glancing back up at him, his face still as unreadable as before.

"What...happened to your hand, if I may ask?" I asked curiously, attempting to change the subject to something about him instead of conversing about myself the entire time.

He glanced at me, his chain of thought broken, before looking at the hand I was referring to.

"There are some things one must give up," he started as a hidden blade – the same one that nearly killed me – appeared out of the armor on his hand, "in order to be an Assassin."

"I see," I said, slowly sitting up in an upright position. "Is it hard…to be an Assassin?"

"As a novice, for a while," he told me, "but with time, you get used to it."

I looked away from him.

"You have killed a lot of people, haven't you?" I asked.

"You could say that," he responded, glancing down at me.

"And I'm assuming that killing the innocent is against...whatever it is that you follow."

"It is against the Creed," he explained. "The Assassin's Creed."

"Assassin's Creed?" I inquired.

"It is like a set of tenants that we Assassins must live by," he clarified, "but there are only three that make us up."

"And killing the innocent people," I pointed to myself, "like me is defying one of them…?"

"Yes."

Nodding, I looked forward, pursing my lips.

"I see." I spoke. "I suppose that explains why you chose not to kill me. Because you believed that I was innocent."

It grew quiet as he nodded once, staring forward as I was. I did not know what to say after that, so I simply continued to stare forward, watching the dim shine of the moon brighten the balcony. As the silence droned out, I looked at the ground again and thought about something, something that seemed to cross my mind all of a sudden: _Why me?_ Why was Altaïr out to kill me in the first place? Actually, he was not his decision, but his Master's instead. That being said, why would his Master send him out to kill me? I had done nothing wrong to hurt anyone around me. If giving my people all the compassion and respect in my heart and soul was a crime, then so be it. But it was not. I showed them as much love and respect as I could, and vice versa. I fought for what they wanted – some dignity in their life and respect – not the other way around like Abel. The people have shown me nothing but kindness because of the good deeds I had done for them, and there was no way I would have anything against them - the minor exception being their (or most of their) disbelief of Abel's deceptive ways. However, that did not change anything. Still, why would he be after me?

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I slowly looked back at him, staring at him as he continued to stare forward. I needed to know the answers; I needed to find out the truth behind the reason for his Master's desire for my death. The only person who had those answers was the Assassin that silently sat before me. He _had_ to know why he was sent here. His Master would not just send him on some mission without a good explanation...right? His Master was not so careless enough to send him out here by himself just to kill me without a good enough reason for it, right?

...Right?

"Why me," I spoke after a long moment of silence between us. Altaïr glanced at me from under his hood, finding that I was looking at him, as I continued, "Why are you after me, anyway?" A short pause as my gaze fell. "I have done nothing wrong against you, my people, or the other Assassins. I am an honest, just, and strong-hearted person, and yet you are here in Jerusalem, ready to kill me off as if I had massacred civilians." I slowly glanced up at him. "Why?"

He remained silent for another moment before looking forward.

"Try asking my Master." I blinked at his response, tilting my head to one side. It was an answer I feared of hearing. "He sent me here to kill you, yes, but he did not tell me his reasons for your demise," he explained. "I questioned him at first, but he told that if I killed you, I would be able to get Robert de Sable out of hiding and eliminate him once and for all." He glanced at me again. "The Master has informed me that you have known him for several years, and your death would greatly affect him. Hopefully, he would hunt me down and attempt to seek out revenge." He looked away from me and lowered his head. "But…"

"But what," I pressed.

Altaïr remained silent for a moment before looking toward the balcony doors, eyeing them for a long moment.

"I could not kill you...when I was given the chance," he said hesitantly, just like when he hesitated to kill me two days ago. "I just could not..."

"But…but why," I asked. "Why could you not kill me? There has to be another reason other my acceptance of death and innocence."

He turned his head to look at me even more. Even though it was dark in my room, I was able to use the moon light to see his dark colored eyes staring deeply into my own forest hues.

"Because your heart is...different...from what I had seen in the past," he said. My eyes widened slightly as he went on, "You're like...like a rose in a field of weeds, for lack of a better phrase."

I raised an eyebrow curiously.

"A rose...in a field of weeds...?" He nodded once. "Please...explain, if you will."

After a moment, I realized I was now closer to him than before. Instead of moving away, I paid no mind to it, since I had become comfortable with him.

"You stand out from the crowd around you not just with your compassion, always fighting for those who are unable to fend for themselves," he started to explain. "You fight for what you believe is right and do everything you can to protect the people – _your_ people – from those you feel, no, from those you _know_ are evil. These past two days I had been learning about you, hearing what others had to say." He looked forward. "From what I heard, many of them have said that you are as compassionate and caring as you say you are. That is why I could not kill you when the opportunity rose. No Templar, from those I had seen, could be innocent if so many people see you as a role model. I cannot kill you…" He looked down at his hands. "I _won't_ kill someone as innocent and willing to fight for the people as you are."

I stared at him with awe-struck eyes, surprised by his choice of words. My lips were ajar, unable to speak in response to what he spoke. He continued to watch me for a long moment, staring into my eyes intently, and remained silent.

The words spoken by Altaïr simply took my breath away, as if it was knocked right out of me forcefully. I could never imagine Abel saying such things and actually mean it in the way Altaïr did. Hell, I did not even realize _Altaïr _would say such things to me! He meant every word he said, I could tell; and I knew for a fact he would not take them back any time soon. His voice was nowhere near joking or mocking as Abel would do in the eyes of the public around him, further upsetting and frustrating me. Altaïr was different; he was nowhere _near_ Abel in personality. Instead, he was quite the opposite in every possible way imaginable. Like myself, he could see through Abel's little tricks and lies, seeing him for what he really was as my friends and I had for months. Not only that, but he saw me for the compassionate person I tried so hard to become. Not as the Richard's daughter, not as his target, not even as a Templar, but for me, a person who was desperately trying to keep her people safe from harm – that harm being Abel. Altaïr understood the benevolence I held for others, for my people, for my land. He knew I was only doing what I felt was the right thing to do in order to keep everyone safe. Abel, on the other hand, was the harm being brought upon this land by my father, even though he did not realize it. Altaïr knew if the wedding continued, this once beautiful land and precious would be tainted with Abel's greed for the wealth and recognition he already had, and his lust for power.

He and I saw the same, evil tyrant that was Abel, my ungrateful fiancé. Not only that, but we also saw one another for who we were and what we both wanted for everyone: peace in all things.

I slowly looked away from him, a smile forming on my face as his words replayed in my mind over and over again.

"Thank you...Altaïr..." I spoke softly. "Those words..." I looked into his eyes once more, "They mean so much to me..."

He nodded before getting to his feet.

"I must be going," he said as he began walking towards the balcony.

"What?" I questioned as he approached and opened the doors. Then, I suddenly found myself standing up and quickly running over to take his hand, stopping him. He turned his head to look at me, noticing them shimmer in the moonlight. "Don't go," I pleaded. "Please. I want to know more about you and the Assassin lifestyle!"

He turned to face me.

"I cannot stay here for too long, Cynthia," he told me, taking hold of the hand that prevented him from leaving. "Malik will begin to wonder where I am and I need to return to..." He hesitated for a moment. "I need to return to my Master."

I tilted my head to one side.

"Malik...?" I questioned. "Who is that?"

"A..._good_ friend of mine," he responded.

I looked at the ground for a moment before looking back up at him.

"But…when will I see you again?"

"Soon," he said. "I am not sure as to when I will return, but hopefully soon."

I could see it in his shrouded eyes and hear it in his voice that he was telling the full, absolute truth. Although it killed me to see him go, I could not let him stay here, for fear of him getting caught and taken away from me, only it would be for good and not a day. I sighed once again before releasing his hand.

"All right…" I spoke, taking a small step back in order to keep myself from holding onto him again, and stared at the ground. "Just...try not to get caught, alright?"

He stared at me for a long moment, watching my sullen form, before taking one step closer to me. I could feel the heat radiating off his body, and the urge to throw my arms around him quickly arose. Upon thinking such a thinking, I quickly repressed it, unsure as to why I would think such a thought. Suddenly, I felt his hands on my cheeks, warming my face, and slowly force me to look back at him. His face was blank, but I could tell that there was a hint of concern and reassurance on his face, in his eyes.

"That is something I know I can do," he said before removing his hands from my cheeks, leaving a tingling sensation in it's wake.

With those words, he was gone like the wind, leaving me dumbfounded and happier than I ever thought possible.


	6. Of High Expectations and Hidden Secrets

_**The Next Day...**_

_**May 9, 1191**_

A wide, childlike grin was plastered against my light tanned cheeks as I aimlessly wandered the streets of Jerusalem just like I had mere days ago, glancing at the buildings above my head as if I were looking for something. Two guards stood nearby in order to keep a close eye on me. According to Abel, it was just in case I would make any attempts at running away again. However, what was the point of doing so when 1) there was no plan to follow, and 2) there was actually something worth looking forward to. That something, oddly enough, happened to be Altaïr. Despite the impossibility of ever seeing him again, I anticipated his arrival once again. Not tonight, of course, as he had made plans to return to his home before coming back. Still, I decided to allow time to take care of things and let it run its course. There was no point in becoming impatient for his return. And besides, it was just as that all saying goes: "All good things come to those who wait." The quote made me purse my lips; but was waiting for an _Assassin _to return a good thing?

On another, much happier and pleasing note, I had heard rumors from the guards about Abel. They claimed he was going to be extremely busy all day long re-planning everything for our postponed wedding, therefore he would not be around and I was not going to see him for a while. At those words, I mentally leapt for joy, knowing that my day was slowly starting to get better. I prayed nothing would ever interrupt it, and that every day could be just like this. The people in the streets had noticed my happy upbeat mood, each one of them either giving me strange looks or smiling sweetly. Well, how would you feel if you knew were someone interesting was going to come through your window just to see you added with the fact you would not see your undesirable fiancé for a long period of time? Happy, to say the least. At least, I thought so anyway.

Turning a corner, I continued on my way with walking through the city, placing my hands behind my back absentmindedly and glancing at the assortment of items on sale in the merchant stores. The guards who were watching me eyed me curiously, wondering if I was up to something they did not know about, yet I chose to ignore them for the time being. They may have been there to keep watch over me so I would not run away – unfortunately thanks to Abel – but there was no way I was going to allow them to keep me from having a good day. After taking a few steps on the new street, I looked forward and immediately spotted Ada and Alexandra up ahead, patrolling as they said they were going to do yesterday. My smile growing, my day became even better than before. Seeing my friends had always made my days a little less hectic and a little more interesting, and seeing how my day was already perfect, why not throw them into the mix as well? Hastily, I ran over to them, my smile growing bigger. The guards had a hard time keeping up with me, but I hoped that they were able to keep an eye on me and not assume I was trying to run away.

"Hello, my friends!" I called out as I approached them. "How are you on this beautiful day?"

They turned their heads to look at me, each giving me a friendly smile.

"Fine," Alexandra responded. "A little bored and tired, though, since there is not much is going on in the streets today. Especially after yesterday's events."

"That's quite a shame," I sighed, placing my arms over their shoulders, smiling warmly. "But cheer up! Both of you. You should not let a beautiful day like today go to waste!"

Ada raised an eyebrow in confusion in my direction.

"What's with you, Cynthia?" She asked with a confused tone. "You seem a lot more, eh, perky today than yesterday."

I sighed with content and released them, walking forward a bit before turning to look at them. I took notice to the guards keeping their distance from me, probably not to eavesdrop so much.

I smirked mischievously.

"Oh, nothing really," I spoke. "Just enjoying the wonderful weather today is all. It is much more...enticingly peaceful than the others."

"But yesterday, you were upset about the wedding again," Ada pointed out. "You cannot suddenly become happy, especially after one day."

"I know, I know," I shrugged, "but I am trying not to worry so much about all of that. Besides, Abel will be busy with the wedding for a few days anyway, so I will not have to worry about him as much I thought."

"That sounds great...but I don't think that's all," Alexandra spoke, crossing her arms over her chest. Then, she lowered her voice in case anyone tried to listen in to what she was trying to say, "This does not have anything to do with that Assassin, does it?"

I rolled my eyes at her words.

"He has a name, you know," I told her, "and it is Altaïr."

Ada gasped in shock.

"It does involve the Assassin!" I glared at her lightly. "I mean Altaïr…"

Shaking my head, I turned back around and placed my arms behind my back once again before saying, "He came to see me last night."

"He what?" Ada exclaimed in a low voice, but it still held the surprise and shock at the same time. Alexandra said nothing, only stared at me with a shocked expression.

"I know, I know. I was surprised to see him, too," I explained.

Alexandra moved closer to me, becoming serious once again.

"What did he want?" She hissed, now speaking in a low, serious voice. "I hope he wasn't there to-"

"He was not there to kill me, oddly," I reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He claimed he could not kill me despite being ordered by his Master to do so."

"Why is that?" Ada questioned. A small smile graced my lips as I recalled the words Altaïr spoke to me last night. 

"He claimed I was much too innocent to kill," I explained. "That was it." 

Ada groaned with annoyance as we continued to wander the streets, all while keeping an eye out for anything suspicious in the streets.

"That was it?" She asked. "That was all he wanted to say?"

My eyes shifted a bit, thanking God that they were unable to see my face.

"Yes," was all I said before leaving it at that, not wanting to go further into the conversation.

I did not want to tell them everything about what was going on, meaning I did not want to tell them that the offer to kill me was still presented. Also, I did not want them assuming there was something going on between us. Although it was nothing big or serious going on at all, somewhere deep down in the back of my mind I could tell it was slowly turning into something, something I could not control on my own. I could trust the two women that walked with me with my entire life, but I did not want to be in Jerusalem to tell them everything. Someone nearby – a dedicated civilian or a loyal guard – might hear us and inform Abel about it. That was something I truly did not want to happen – let him know that an Assassin made plans to see me – especially after his little talk with me about the attempted escape. I had to keep quiet about it, just until we got out of Jerusalem and got as far away from here as we could. Only then would I feel safe enough to let them know everything that had happened and what was to come in the future ahead of us. That is, if there _was_ a future for the four of us, let alone Altaïr and I There was a huge possibility that something, anything, could happen, but I doubted it. I was getting married to Abel. Even though I desperately wanted to get away from this wedding, he was my fiancé. Then again, I was planning on making an escape from here soon. _I suppose_, I thought, chewing on the inside of my cheek, _that maybe something could happen between us. But...I don't know for sure._

As the three of us walked through a few crowds of people, I looked forward, trying to find something worth looking at, before immediately noticing the one single man, one that I did not expect to see for days at a time, turn a corner. He immediately spotted the three of us walking, sending me one of his fake smiles. I slowly started to glare at him, as did Ada and Alexandra, as he slowly made his way over to us.

"Oh, great." I muttered. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"I thought you said he was not going to be around for the next few days," questioned Alexandra, nudging me lightly.

I shrugged.

"That's what I heard," I muttered a response just as Abel approached us.

"Hello, Cynthia, my love!" he said, embracing me which caused me to shrink back in disgust. "Fancy meeting you here, is it not, my dear!"

"What are you doing out here, Abel?" I spoke as he released me from his embrace, but kept one arm draped over my shoulders. "I thought you were going to be busy re-planning the wedding for next month and would not be around for a few days?"

"I decided to come see you before I got to working on that," he explained. "I did not want my beloved Cynthia to worry about me so much while I am away." I growled and looked away from him. He simply chuckled. "You look so adorable when you're angry," he commented, thought I could hear the teasing in his voice.

I shrugged my shoulders harshly and took a step back from him.

"Come around more often," I snapped. "You'll be able to see it a lot more!"

Once again, he chuckled, patting my head lightly.

"So cute, but unfortunately it will be as you said. I'll be busy for the next few days and will be unable to do so." He, then, noticed Ada and Alexandra standing behind me, noticing the glares they were giving to him. "Ah! Ada, Alexandra! I did not see you two there!" He spoke with playful innocence.

"Sure. We' are simply other people walking the streets to you," Alexandra retorted, growling a bit. "How..._touching_..."

"Forgive me, dear Alexandra," He looked at me before looking at her, "but it is hard to see others when I look into the eyes of my gorgeous soon-be-wife." A pause as realization struck him. "Ah, that reminds me!" He looked back at me. "I was going to ask you something, Cynthia. Are you excited about our unexpected change of plans for the wedding? That was another reason why I came out here looking for you as well."

I huffed.

"Well, you should not have wasted your time doing that," I told him. "Because I have been wanting to tell you that I want the wedding called off. _Now_."

He laughed.

"I cannot stop it, Cynthia," he said. "I told you before, you're father has the authority to stop it not me."

"That's not true!" I snapped at him before calming myself. "You have every right to put a stop to this, but you don't because you enjoy seeing me suffer! Instead of marrying you, I would rather feed myself to lions than marry you! I would jump into a river and drown myself to escape this living hell!" A pause as I lowered my head a bit and allowed my eyes to darken slightly. "I would rather be killed by an _A__ssassin_ than to ever be with you." I sensed Ada's and Alexandra's gazes fall onto me at the last words.

"Those are such horrible things to say," said Abel, sounding upset. "It is unbecoming of a beauty such as yourself to say such words."

I growled and walked passed him, harshly brushing past him.

"I wish any of those things could happen to me so I could avoid this marriage once and for all!" I shouted back to him as I walked away from him, Ada and Alexandra quickly following close behind me and leaving Abel to fake his confusion as usual. Fortunately, not many people had noticed the ordeal and went on with their busy day, something I was rather fortunate about.

"You...you weren't serious about all those things about dying...were you, Cynthia?" Ada questioned timidly, her voice filled with worry.

A sigh escaped my lips as I turned my head to her, giving her a reassuring smile. However, I said nothing in response, which clearly worried Ada even further.

"Of course she wouldn't, Ada. Are you kidding?" Alexandra spoke. "She is not stupid enough to be so accepting of death. She wants to live long and enjoy life to the fullest!" I looked forward and lowered my head slightly, just enough so the others would not notice it at all.

_That's what you think..._ I thought to myself as we continued our trek around the city in silence.

_**Later On...**_

I slumped onto my cool bed with a huff, while Ada and Alexandra simply stood there watching me, Ada leaning near the balcony door and Alexandra sitting in her usual chair near my dresser. I was glaring at the ceiling with all the hate for Abel that I could muster for a long moment, before shooting up in bed with an angry look on my face, growling in the process.

"God, I hate that man." I groaned. "I hope he suffers in Hell for all eternity!"

"I know," Ada agreed. "He thinks he can woo the crowd with his fake...well, everything. But he cannot fool us, no matter how hard he tries!"

Alexandra placed her forehead on her forearms, huffing a bit.

"I wish I could just...throw him in a pit of fire, Cynthia," Alexandra growled. "Trust me. We know how you feel."

I glanced at her.

"And I would gladly join you," said Ada, nodding in the raven haired Templar's direction.

I nodded my head in agreement and listened to the other things that they could think of, like taking him to docks, tying him to a rock, and throwing him into the water. It was Alexandra's plan, one that was gruesome to the very finest point. Then, after a few minutes of their planning, it slowly grew quiet between the three of us. We all looked around the room, thinking of what to say to each other in order to change the subject. During the silence, I suddenly began thinking of Diana. I still had yet to tell her about my last night's meeting with Altaïr and his expected arrival. Unfortunately, I feared it would be difficult for her to take, seeing as I had not killed the man when I had the chance for the second time. Since she, also, had a death wish for the Assassin, it was difficult to decide whether or not telling her would be one of the greatest ideas in the world. Her reaction of Altaïr coming to visit me in the middle of the night would not be one of the best things that I would see in this lifetime. She would most likely...lose it, for lack of a better term, and question why I was seeing a "killer" behind everyone's back. That, or she would just deal with it and be all right with it, as Ada and Alexandra had. It was a long shot, since she was accidentally injured by said Assassin, but it was a possibility that such a thing could happen. A sigh escaped my lips. It was all to confusing to figure out on my own.

"Hey, Cynthia," said Ada, breaking the long silence between the three of us. I glanced at her, noticing the worried expression she had on her face. "How is...how is Diana going to take the news about Altaïr seeing you?"

My eyes widened slightly, shocked to know she had the same idea in her head as I did, before looking away and shrugging.

"You know, I was thinking that myself," I told her, "and frankly, I don't know how she would react."

"I say we don't tell her anything," Alexandra suggested, earning glances from me and Ada.

"But we can't keep it a secret from her," said Ada. "She's our best friend."

Alexandra sighed.

"I understand that," she started, "but how would you feel if your best friend was still seeing the Assassin that nearly killed you?" Silence was her response. "Exactly."

Ada looked away for a moment before looking back at Alexandra.

"Yes, but we cannot keep it from her forever, you know."

Alexandra placed her chin on her forearms.

"Then we tell her when we get to Damascus," she suggested. "It would be best if we did it there than here, since we ill be out of here and no one will go telling Abel about it."

I looked away from her.

"Yes…I guess that is a good idea," I muttered.

Alexandra nodded.

"All right. It's set," she said. "We tell no one, including Diana, about this until the time comes."

"Right," Ada said with a determined look on her face.

I slowly lowered my head slightly and sighed, as if I was feeling tired despite not feeling that way. A strange feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that keeping this vital information from her for a while would be best, but then again it was the worst idea we ever came up with in...well, ever. Diana always had the habit of over-reacting with anything of extreme importance – which happened to be the case with my situation with Altaïr. Sometimes, if we did not tell her for a little while and it was not all that important, she would over-react for a moment, wonder why we did not say anything, but eventually just accept it. However, knowing that Altaïr had visited me and was expecting to come back in the middle of the night would cause her to over-react to the highest degree. She may not take it the way we would like her to react to it. I assumed keeping it from her would be best, but in the end, I feared it would ultimately turn for the worst once she found out.

Alexandra noticed my sullen form, got up from her chair, walked over to me and sat next to me on my bed, placing a hand on my back and rubbing it.

"Do not worry, Cynthia," she reassured me. "We will not tell anyone about this. You can trust us, and you know it."

I smiled lightly at her words.

"Thank you. I know I could trust you both." I bit my lower lip lightly. "I do trust Diana with my life, but she might have a heart attack for this one. She was injured by him, after all."

Alexandra pat my back.

"That is why we have to keep it a secret from her for now," she said. "That way, it will not be as bad...I hope."

I nodded.

"Alright," I said. "Not a word to anyone, got it?"

"Our lips are sealed," Ada said, placing a finger to her lips. I smiled warmly at her while Alexandra shook her head at the brown haired woman.

It felt good to know there were people in this world that I could trust with my life and I could tell anything to, no matter how pointless or important it was to me. That was what having best friends was all about. They could be there for me and help out. They could pick me up off the ground and be the support I need to get through the hard times in life. A thought soon crossed my mind as I looked forward, staring outside at the building across from me. _Maybe_, I thought, _I could gain Altaïr's trust next, seeing as we share the same views._ It would probably be awhile before I could actually gain the trust of an enemy, but it was worth a shot. Since he would not kill me because of my innocence, maybe I could at least earn his trust and bring us...closer to one another. He strongly agreed with the things I said about Abel and would probably be willing to help me out if need be. I pursed my lips in thought as I placed my elbow on my knee and my chin on my hand, supporting it. _Maybe_, I thought,_ just maybe I could gain that trust for myself. That way, he, too, could be an extra support in my life._


	7. The Assassin's Trust

_**Three Nights Later...**_

_**May 12, 1191**_

I silently paced around my bedroom, shivering slightly from the cold coming in through my open balcony doors. I rubbed my arms from time to time in order to keep myself warm, but it was not helping all that much with the ever present breeze that continued to ravage within my room. Three days had passed by, long and anxious days, and I had not seen Altaïr since the night he came to see me. I had been patient all three days, distracting myself with other things such as daily patrolling, in order to keep my mind busy and off the Assassin. Oddly, though, I was unable to fall asleep. For what reason, I was not entirely sure, but I decided to pace around in an attempt to tire myself out. To be honest, I was anxious to see him again, but it was not the reason behind why I could not get any sleep. It was strange, really, to know I was unable to get some rest. Maybe all of the waiting was finally taking its toll on me, resulting in my inability to fall asleep in order to deal with the next day. I sighed as I sat on my bed, a warming sensation filling my body at the thought of him, wondering what it was that he was up to. I recalled the feel of his hands against my skin – so warm and so comforting – and how it stole my breath away. Just thinking about it warmed my body and soul, so much that I was no longer rubbing my arms. It was strange to admit myself, seeing as how I had only just met him, but seeing him again was something I looked forward to. I wanted to see him again, so that I would at least get some sleep in the end.

After another moment, my face fell into my hands as I sighed once again. It had been a couple of hours since I decided to stay awake and wait until I became tired. Unfortunately, based off the position of the moon, it was almost midnight. For a while, I believed he was unable to make tonight due to the duties of an Assassin. Was he unable to come due to some circumstances that involved the Assassins? _Maybe_, I thought. _It's possible that something could have come up when he was gone._ Nevertheless, I was determined to wait a few more days if that happened to be the case. I never gave up hope when it came to seeing him again, and prayed that things would turn out well for him. I could not give up hope, not when things were starting to turn around for the better. The look in his eyes told me he was not joking or lying to me about returning. The look in his eyes told me was truly serious, that every word he spoke was true to the very core.

My hands fell to my sides with frustration as I got up and walked over to my window, my silky night gown flowing quietly behind me along with the breeze that entered the room. When I was close enough to the door, I stopped and leaned against the opened door frame and stared up at the sky for a long moment, watching and taking in the moonlights rays and the stars twinkling in the sky. The night was eerily quiet, _too quiet _for my tastes, and it started to bother me a little. Something felt very off as I stood there scanning the area, almost as if someone were watching my every move from a nearby distance and keeping an eye on me. Before I could find out, though, a cold breeze brushed against me. Shivering, I inhaled deeply before sighing with content. It was a peaceful setting and a calm feeling that overwhelmed me. After a moment, I sighed and walked back to my bed, keeping my head held high. If was unable to arrive tonight, that was all right. I was not going to keep myself up waiting for him to come back. Besides, what were the odds of him even wanting to return?

"I told you I would be here, did I not?"

I jumped at the sound of the unexpected voice, nearly falling onto my bed with shock. Quickly, I turned on my heel to see him appear from the darkness, the rays of the moonlight revealing his once hidden form. Upon seeing him, I felt my body relax.

"A-Altaïr." I spoke, trying to calm my riled nerves. "How long were you standing there for?"

Altaïr shrugged absently.

"At least a few minutes after you opened your balcony doors," he explained. "I snuck in when you had your back turned."

I blinked once before shaking my head.

"You are much too sneaky, Altaïr," I told him. "You could have given me a heart attack."

"I apologize, daughter of Richard," he spoke.

I shook my head again.

"Please, we are...acquaintances. Call me Cynthia."

He stared at me for a long moment, observing me intently, before looking away.

"If that is what you wish...Cynthia." He replied. I sent him a small smile, as a means to show that I appreciated it that he tried. "I wish to show you something, something you may enjoy seeing as you have been stuck here or constantly being watched by other guards." He continued.

I blinked once with confusion, tilting my head to one side.

"What is that, if I may so kindly ask?" Before I even began to comprehend what was going on, he quickly wrapped his arms around me, lifted me off the ground, and placed me on his shoulder, causing me to gasp with shock and surprise. Not wanting to alert the guards nearby, I chose to gasp silently in order to prevent myself from shrieking. I glanced over at Altaïr from over my shoulder, eyes filled with surprise. "W-what are you doing?"

He looked at me as he walked over to the balcony doors.

"I told you," he replied with a smirk gracing his lips. "I am showing you something that you may enjoy."

With those words said, I felt him exit my bedroom and onto the balcony. The cold breeze brushed against my bare skin for only a mere second, causing me to shiver at its touch. Then, I suddenly felt him leap onto the next building across from my balcony, landing perfectly on to it without even breaking a sweat. I tried to hold onto to his robes as tightly and securely as I could, closing my eyes in the process and keeping my head low in order to keep myself from becoming lightheaded. I refused to open them until I knew for sure that he was going to stop he got there, not wanting to look down at the ground and demand to go back. Not only that, but I did not want to spoil my supposed surprise by keeping my eyes open the entire time to see for myself where he would take me. I actually wanted to see it for myself, as sudden and unexpected as it was. My heart started pounding rapidly against my chest with every leap he took to the unknown destination that I supposedly would enjoy, unsure if he would accidentally miss a step and send us to our deaths. Whether this destination was far away from where I was staying or nearby, I was not sure. It was beyond my own knowledge as to where and why he would want to take me, and how long it would take to reach the place. For what reason that he decided to take me away from the life I lived with for so long was what picked my curiosity. Did he do it because he felt pity for me? _I high doubted that_, I thought.

After another moment of leaping and climbing about from building to building, I soon felt him abruptly stop in his tracks. The wind brushed against my skin once again, making me shiver once again. However, although it was safe to open my eyes, I refused to do so just be sure that it was safe. After a few seconds, he slowly set me down onto the ground, my feet becoming cold at the sudden touch, before placing his hands on my shoulders and turning me around. It was as if he wanted to make sure I would not go anywhere.

"You can open your eyes now, Cynthia." He told me, his voice reassuring. "Do not worry. No harm will come to you."

With that, I slowly began to open my eyes, looking up to catch sight of something I never thought of seeing in my life. Green eyes widened at the breath taking sight that laid before me, unable to tell if it was real or hoax. I looked up at Altaïr for brief moment, staring into his dark hues with surprise, before looking back ahead. My breathing slowly hitched for a second as I slowly took a few steps forward, moving closer to the edge of the building without falling off. We were standing on top of a tall building that overlooked almost all of the city of Jerusalem. The moonlight was hitting the city at just the right angle, giving it an angelic and ethereal glow to it. Dim lights flickered within the streets, showing a path for those who were out at this time of night. It truly was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen in my life, and it was rare to see a sight during my constantly watched life.

On any other night such as this, I never would have had enough time to climb on top of a building and just look out at the city, enjoying a little bit of time to myself before returning to the hectic life that I knew so well. It was something that Abel would never even think of doing, since he was not that much of a fan of being outside. Altaïr, though, was different in many ways compared to that man. He saw the outside as something I would enjoy the most in life despite not knowing me at all. When I had a lot of stress placed on my body with the whole wedding and wanted to forget all about all even if it was for a moment, he was there to help me see things in a different light. He saw that I put under a lot of tension over the fact that everything was slowly falling to pieces, thanks to not just Abel but my father as well. He saw a young woman trying her best to fight for the people, her people, and wanted them to be happy and safe from those who would do them harm. He was someone who saw past everything – the fact that I was a Templar, the fact that I was his enemy – and saw me for who I was. He saw me as the woman who stood out of the crowd of Templars like a rose in a field of weeds.

After another moment of silence, I slowly turned around to look back at Altaïr, who was also staring out at the magnificent city sitting before him before realizing that I was looking at him. He looked at me as well, his hood shielding most of his features. Despite wearing the hood, I could easily see his dark hues staring into my forest green orbs. Oddly enough, he appeared stunningly angelic in the moonlight. For a brief moment he appeared to be distracting my mind, clouding it with thoughts I never thought of thinking about, but I soon forced myself back to reality and composed myself. When I knew I was back, I sent a kind smile over to him.

"It's...it is all beautiful, Altaïr." I spoke. "I have," I turned back toward the city, "never seen anything like this in my whole life."

"I had a feeling you would," he spoke, his feet moving toward me at a slow pace. "If you want, I could take you here every night, give you a small taste of freedom and help you escape the troubles of your life."

A smile graced my lips.

"A small taste may be just enough to make my day, even for a moment," I spoke, rubbing my arms in an attempt to keep myself warm, which surprisingly worked very well.

I felt him approach me from behind, the heat radiating from his body and making me tense at the close contact with him. Then, I soon felt his hands fall upon my shoulders once again, warming my body within just a few second. My eyes closed, sighing contently at his touch. It felt soothing to feel his hands against my shoulders, almost as if he were trying to comfort me and relieve my stress. It was something I found myself falling for about as easily as a beggar would for a few coins on the floor. However, when I realized what was happening, I knew that allowing him to do this would cause unwanted problems, problems I wanted to avoid for the good of the others. Still, what no one else knew would not hurt them in the end. That was something else I wanted to avoid; getting anyone hurt because of what was going on. Besides, Altaïr had no intentions of hurting me, knowing fully well that I was an innocent person and was not allowed to do so without risk of losing his life. Instead of denying it, I simply chose to accept it. Little did I realize how much of an effect his touch, his voice, and his presence would have on me until it was too late.

"I am...glad to have met you, Altaïr." I spoke after the long silence between us. His hands squeezed my shoulders lightly as I continued. "And to think...if you had not come here to kill me nearly a week ago, we never would have met in the first place. To be honest, I probably would be in Damascus trying to escape my wedding."

"I disagree with that statement," he responded, making me glance back at him with confusion filling my face.

"Why is that?" I questioned, blinking once.

"If we had not met a week ago, you would still be my target." He explained. "Therefore, I would still have to kill you. If you escaped the city, I would have followed you to Damascus until I found you again, ending your life the moment I was given the opportunity. I never would have realized just how innocent you were, and I would have broken the first tenant without even realizing it." He looked forward. "I think we would have met whether you left Jerusalem or not."

I thought about it for a moment, contemplating the idea for a moment before nodding once.

"That may be true," I said, smiling lightly. "Not only that, but I probably would not..." I looked away. "I probably would not feel as...as safe as I am right now. It is strange to admit, seeing as we had only just met, but..." I tightened my embrace around him just a bit, "I feel I can trust you."

"Trust me if you wish, that is your decision alone." He said. "But be warned. Trusting me will change your life, make you see things that you never would have known before had we not met."

My smile slowly faded from my face before turning to look at him, his eyes still blank yet intense.

"Altaïr...?" I spoke in a timid voice. I tensed for a brief moment as his gaze returned to me. "I wish to know something...something important."

"And what is that?" I took in a deep, yet shaky breath.

"Do you...do you trust me...?" I asked, hesitating slightly mid-sentence. It grew silent right after that, his gaze remaining on me as I held him close to me. My heart began to sink as the silence between us grew longer and longer. I probably chose the wrong words and made this whole situation awkward, I thought to myself, mentally kicking myself for coming out and saying that. However, although I felt a bit stupid and embarrassed, his response brought my hopes up once more.

"Of course I trust you," he said finally. I looked up at him, gazing into his dark orbs once again. "You and I see through the same level as the other. Wanting to protect those who cannot protect themselves, let alone your own people. In a way, you could say that we are one in the same."

I blinked at his words, surprise filling my features.

"R-really?" He nodded just as a smile graced my lips.

"Why should I not," he spoke. "From what I have seen and heard, you truly are a strong woman who is willing to do anything to protect her people from those that will bring them harm. Any other Assassin would do the same thing, and I greatly respect you for doing just that." He pulled back a bit, keeping his arms on my hips, before brushing a few strands of hair out of my face. "Besides, one should not be unhappy for the rest of their days with a man like Abel. A man like him...only deserves misfortune in his future. People like you – in fact, all people – should at least earn a chance at happiness."

I blinked once, realizing he was trying to imply something, before smiling even more, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

"I trust you as well, Altaïr," I spoke, placing my hand against his cheek absentmindedly. "A lot more than I ever thought possible."

He remained silent as we stared at one another, silent as the night that surrounded us. Many thoughts began to run through my mind as I continued to stare intently into his eyes, my body filling with pleasantness. _I gained it_, I thought. I had gained his trust. No longer did the ideal of being enemies keep us apart from what we wanted, what we needed to do, in order for the lives of others to be better than before. I felt happy; happy to know that our minds were walking down the same path towards peace in all things. More so than when I thought I was going to escape the city. My smile grew into an excited grin, the happiness too overwhelming for me to just keep a small smile for a long period of time. I could not wait to tell Ada and Alexandra about this. I could not wait to tell them about how Altaïr, an Assassin, was going to be of use to us when the time had arrived. When the perfect moment came, he would be there to-

Just then, my green eyes widened as realization struck my body. _Oh no_, I thought._ I had completely forgotten to tell Altaïr that Ada and Alexandra knew almost everything about him, about the situation we were placed in!_ I knew I promised myself to keep it a secret from them for a little while longer, just until I knew what was going on and when we escaped, but now I was faced with telling them everything! It was something I wanted to prevent, just until I knew things would be in order. However, they were two of my closest friends and I could trust them with my life. They knew very well how to keep a secret, especially if as important as the fact the King's daughter was busy seeing an Assassin at night without saying anything to anyone about it. However, if Altaïr had a right to know things about myself, then they had just as much a right to know about what was happening. I could not keep a secret like that from them, especially when they were a such huge part of my life. _They have to know_, I told myself. _They have every to know as he does._

Removing my hand from his cheek, I slowly pulled back, allowing my arms to fall to their sides. My face fell to the ground, sensing his gaze fall upon me once again.

"What is it?" Altaïr asked, his voice confused.

I sighed before smiling sheepishly.

"I forgot to tell you something," I started. "Two of my closest friends, Ada Haksson and Alexandra Benedek, know about you. But...but they are not exactly happy with what happened. They are upset over the fact that you left me to die, which you did not when you think about it. It will eventually be three in the near future, but I do not have to worry about that until later." He remained silent, allowing me to continue. "Do not be upset at my suggestion, Altaïr, but I feel they have a right to know what really happened. How I wanted to die, and how you...you did not kill me because I was innocent." I heard his footsteps moving closer to me. "I...I can trust them with my life, and you can trust them, too. Like us, they want what is best for the people, to protect them from those who do them harm. They, too, despise Abel as much as I do, as he is the threat in this fair city." I looked up at him just as he stopped in front of me. "They are the only people besides you who actually believe me when I speak of Abel and his cruel ways. They want to be rid of his just as much as-"

His hand was, suddenly. placed over my lips, ceasing my unintentional rant. I quickly stopped talking at that moment, but I could feel my face heat up a bit at his touch. He stared down at me for a long moment, observing my gaze as I returned the look.

"You make it sound as if it is a bad thing to tell someone you trust," he spoke.

I shrugged as he lowered his hand, giving me the chance to speak.

"I should have told you the moment I saw you," I explained, my head lowering, "but I did not."

"Do not feel ashamed," he reassured me. "It is good that others know the truth and side with you."

I looked up at him as a smile formed on my lips. Them, I turned around to look back out the city of Jerusalem, taking in its majestic sight once more.

"I am glad you understand, Altaïr," I said, listening as he moved to stand next to me. When I knew he was standing next to me, I looked up at him. My gaze locked onto his once more. "I really am glad to have met you, even if our intentions were focused on other things."

"People meet in the strangest ways," he said.

I smiled as I brushed my hands against his.

"Yes," I responded. "Yes, they do..."


	8. The New Escape Plan

_**Two Weeks Later...**_

_**May 26, 1191**_

Two weeks had gone by a lot quicker than I had first anticipated. It never really crossed my mind until I asked how long it was since the near escape had taken place. Not only that, but I had also realized the wedding was in just about two week or so. That could only mean that our was still on and Abel had finished planning it all yet again. When it came down to it, I knew I was, once again, unable to stop it as I had planned from the beginning to do in the beginning. I was still in its grip without ever thinking of escaping again, not with all the guards watching over me nearly every single day. It became stressful at times, and I was unable to take it. However, there was a bright side in these dark times. Not only had been able to see the others – Diana had healed and had returned to her duties – on some days, I had been able to see Altaïr during the two week time period as well. He would arrive at least a day or two later, trying his best to make sure no one would become too suspicious. Nevetheless, his presence made my days a lot better than if he was never around.

When he would arrive one night, he would take atop the same rooftop he brought me to that night two weeks ago. It was there thatwe would just talk about everything, just to keep my mind off the busy schedule. We would talk all night long – from what had happened during the day to our own childhood memories. I could not remember much about mine, but I had learned so much about him. He told me how he had been an Assassin all his life along with his father, who had died when he was still very young. He never knew his mother, and I did not pressure him about it. When he asked about myself, the first thing that came to mind was my mother and how much of an impact she made on my life.

"She was never around when I was a child," I told him as I sat on the edge of the building, looking out at the city.

Altaïr looked over at me.

"Did she leave?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"No, she...she died when I was born," I explained. "That was what my father told me. I never really knew her that much, but from what I heard, she was truly an amazing person." I smiled. "In a way, she was exactly the way I am today. Always putting the well-being of others before her own. She saw only the people first before she worried about her own problems."

"She was selfless," he stated.

I looked at him and nodded.

"_Very _selfless if you ask me. It was...strange, really, when I first heard that." I looked forward. "It was as if the traits that made her who she was back then came into me when I was born."

He, also, looked out toward the city, placing his hands on his lap.

"I suppose the rumors about you were true." He said, making me look back at him again. "You truly are more your mother's daughter than your father's."

Afterwards, we would change the subject to something else, yet those words stuck to me. They truly meant something, something that never really occurred to me before until that moment. How was it that I was able to be more like my mother when I was never able to meet her personally? I still thought about it today from time to time, curious as to why such a thing could have been possible.

On another note, I was finally able to tell Ada and Alexandra the truth about what had really happened the day we tried to escape the city. They were surprised by the fact that I was so accepting of death, but were glad to know the reason why Altaïr voted against killing me. At first it did not click, but after a bit of explaining, they were able to understand it...sort of.

"I understand the fact that he knew you were innocent," Alexandra stated, "but why would the Assassins in general have a _rule_ against killing the innocent? I thought they were cold blooded killers?"

"That was what we had been told all our life, but it is not true," I said, staring out at the city, which shined under the rays of the sun. "He says the innocent have done no harm to anyone and are the victims behind the brute force of the Templars. Therefore, it is the Templars that bring the most force that are eliminated."

"But isn't that the point of being called Assassins?" Ada questioned. "Assassins are killers, are they not?"

I nodded, turning my head in her direction.

"We have only been told what they were like on the outside," I told her. "What we did not know was the reason behind it. That reason is because they, like the Templars, seek peace." I smiled. "The Assassins are just going about it in a different manner, one that, I believe, makes a much more powerful effect."

That was just the other day, and slowly but surely they are starting to see the truth behind the rumors about the Assassins. However, just as they left to continue their duties, there was something that I suddenly remembered. It was something that was of great importance to all of us, but had slipped my mind. I had realized that the wedding was just around the corner (although I had known that for sometime), but there was no escape plan in order for us to escape the wedding for the second time! There may have been more guards keeping an eye on me every day, but they were much too distracted on other things, like the civilians and keeping their power, than noticing my friends and I attempting to escape again. That meant Ada, Alexandra, possibly Diana (since she did not know the whole situation that was going on), and I needed to put our minds together once again and think of something soon, or I was going to be standing at the alter, forced to mutter an "I do" to the man who was going to bring the Kingdom to its knees.

"Ada, Alexandra, we need to talk," I spoke frantically as both women entered the room behind me. Before closing the door and locking it behind them, though, I quickly looked down both hallways, watching out for any guards that were _supposed_ to be watching my door. Once I figured out that they would not be arriving soon, I quickly closed the door behind me and turned back to Ada and Alexandra. Ada sat on the floor, while Alexandra sat on my bed.

"Sure. What is it?" Ada asked, sitting on my bed and leaning back on it.

"I have some bad news." I said as I sauntered over to the balcony doors, looking out at the city again. "We don't have an escape plan, and the wedding is in two weeks,."

"It's not as if we forgot about the whole thing," said Ada as I opened the doors to let some fresh air inside. "We just...could not come up with anything that was...good enough to be of use."

A sigh escaped my lips as I turned to face her, bits of my hair pulled back by a loose ponytail falling into my face.

"I cannot say I blame you," I responded before placing my hands on my hips, drumming my fingers again my white, floral blouse, "but we cannot worry about the past right now. Now, we have to put our heads together and think of something and soon."

"I was thinking about something," Alexandra spoke up from her usual spot near by dresser, raising her hand slightly to grab our attention. I quickly looked over at her.

"Yes, what did you come up with?" I spoke.

She stared at me for another moment sighing and looking at the floor, rubbing the back of her head a bit.

"Not much…" Another escaped my lips. "I had an idea, but I realized there were way too many flaws with it.

"It was worth a shot, Alexandra," I spoke, giving her a reassuring smile, "and I respect that."

Alexandra glanced at me and rolled her eyes, smiling ever so slightly just as Ada raised her hand.

"Oh! Maybe we could run away like last time," she suggested.

Alexandra gave her a dull look as we looked over at her

"And get caught by wandering guards that are keeping an eye out for Cynthia?" She pointed out. "No thank you. As much as I would like to repeat our plans from the first time, it would not end well. With the amount of guards wandering the streets these days, it would be impossible to not get noticed the second we walk out the front doors."

Ada glanced at her for a few seconds, thinking through her words, before looking at the floor as well, huffing slightly.

"That's true…" she said. "Now we _really_ do not have anything."

"Come on, you guys," I said, looking between both women. "We have to think of something."

Alexandra looked over at me this time.

"You are the brains of this plus the bride of the devil who should know what is going on in this unwanted event," she stated. "_You_ do something."

I rolled my eyes.

"I still take suggestions," I told her, folding my arms across my chest. "It is not as if I am able to come up with everything, you know?"

She chuckled a little at my words.

"You both have a point," Ada muttered.

I sighed.

"I do not have to plan everything! I still need some help!" I exclaimed in a low voice so that no one outside my door could hear me.

"Still, your plans always work," Alexandra spoke up, leaning back against the dresser using the chair.

"The only plan that did not fully work was our first attempt of escape from Jerusalem," Ada continued. "Everything else worked perfectly, thanks to you!"

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"So what? It does not matter if I have good planning skills or not, we all have to figure out an escape plan soon, or I'll be marrying that damned creature from hell named Abel!"

Just as I said that, an arm suddenly found its way around my neck, but was not enough to choke me. I jumped at the sudden contact, nearly shrieking out of surprise, but quickly slapped my hands over my mouth to keep it in. I did not want to attract any unwanted attention from the guards that might pass by. Glancing at the arm, I realized that it had a rather familiar hidden blade attached to it. Realization struck my mind as my I paled, gasped, and turned my head to see a very familiar face looking down at me.

"It seems you are having trouble thinking of a plan of escape," said Altaïr, a small smirk gracing his lips. "Maybe I could be of some use to you after all?"

I blinked several times, making sure it was not a dream, before looking back at Ada and Alexandra. They had just gotten up and placed a hand on the hilts of their swords, hard glares aimed directly at the Assassin standing nearby. 

"So _your _the one who injured Cynthia!" Alexandra hissed, the grip on her sword tightening. Fortunately, she kept her voice low in order to prevent any guards from hearing her. "I am going to enjoy killing you where you stand."

"Relax, both of you," I spoke in a reassuring tone of voice. "Altaïr is not here to kill me. I swear."

They remained rooted to their spots for a few moments, glaring at Altaïr, before cautiously lowering their hands, but remaining tense just in were to change.

"How do we know that," questioned Alexandra, her brown colored hues remaining to the Assassin holding me in a position that meant to kill.

I sensed Altaïr look over at her.

"If I were here to kill her, Alexandra," Alexandra's eyes widened slightly, but quickly returned to normal, "I either would have killed you to avoid trouble or escape before you had a chance to call the guards."

She stared at him for another moment, before smirking slightly

"You are wise, Altaïr," she said, crossing her arms over her chest as if she were slowly becoming more and more comfortable with his presence. "I still do not trust you yet, but you have earned my respect."

I sighed and shook my head.

"Great," I spoke up. "I am glad you all were able to meet for the first time. Now will you excuse us for one moment, please?"

I quickly took hold of Altaïr's wrist, removing it from around my neck, before pulling him out onto the balcony, which was still open due to the Assassin's silent entry. When we stood outside, I quickly shut the doors behind me, giving the others a reassuring smile and gaze, before turning to look at him. Within seconds, fear and worry appeared on my face.

"What in the Lord's name are you doing here, Altaïr?" I questioned him in a low voice. "I was not expecting you until to arrived later tonight, not in the morning where you could be seen by everyone in the city!"

He chuckled at my frantic state.

"I came to give you some news when I overheard your small conversation about how to escape your wedding, so I decided to just help you."

I sighed as I slowly approached him, my hands crossing over my chest.

"I appreciate the thought, but how are you going to do that?" I questioned. "Have you come up with a plan of some sort to help me?"

"Actually, I have. It involves the news I wanted to tell you about," he said. I blinked once with a confused expression as he continued, "Before I came, Malik had told me of Abel recently hiring new personal guards."

My eyes widened slightly at the news, stopping in my tracks.

"Personal guards?" I spoke up, my arms falling to their sides. I turned my head from him. "That idiot! What would he need personal guards for anyway?"

"Malik was not sure of Abel's motives, but it is possibly because he does not know that you are still alive and the wedding is still on," Altaïr explained. "My guess is they are for the both of you." I rolled my eyes as he continued, "He said that Abel would also need them in case someone were to try and kill him, but my guess is that he also wants them to keep an eye on you, just to be sure you would not run away again."

Blinking, I looked back up at him once again.

"Kill him?" I questioned, moving closer to him again. "You mean he knows you are here?"

He shrugged.

"It is possible he knows of my presence. Maybe after the injuries I had inflicted on you and Diana. He may be afraid of losing his life next. Even before his own wedding, he wants to remain alive longer and much safer before then."

"So what does that mean?"

A smirked appeared on his face.

"It means that I _may_ be able to kill some of those guards so that the whole city will be in an uproar. That way, they will be more worried about hunting me down, and a little less worried about you."

A smile soon appeared on my lips.

"Ah, I see where you going with this. And while the guards are off searching for you, I would be able to repeat my first plan successfully, and we make our escape to Damascus! And if not there, to Acre!" Excitement began to fill my body as I stopped in front of him. "This is perfect! I could not have thought of anything better had I not been told this news!"

"You could have thought of that if you had the information already," he spoke, placing a hand on my shoulder. I looked at him as he continued, "What with your intelligent mind and my assassination tactics, we could do anything."

I smiled and blushed at his comment. When I realized this, I looked away.

"If those two see me blushing, they will never let me hear the end of it." I spoke, tapping my cheeks lightly.

He chuckled before becoming serious once again.

"You should be able to figure out when those guards will be coming," he said, getting back to the matter at hand. "Abel should be the one who knows when they will arrive."

Once my blush disappeared, I became serious as well, looking back at him again.

"That is true," I said before my gaze fell. "And...I think you should tell your friend, Malik, that I am not dead...and he should not tell any of the other Assassins if they don't know, that is."

He blinked with confusion filling his face.

"Why is that?" He questioned.

I gave him a look, my eyebrows furrowing.

"Altaïr, I do not want him wondering why you have been around after two long weeks without returning to your Master," I told him. "I think it is time you tell him the reason why you are still here."

He stared into my forest green eyes before pushing a few strands of my brown hair from my face.

"I'll see what I can do," he said. "But I will not be surprised if he becomes...upset." I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. He returned the embrace and held me close to him.

"Thank you," I said as I released him. "And I will do my best to...speak to Abel."

He chuckled at my disinterested and slightly disgusted expression.

"I should be going now. Malik will start wondering where I am, since I took off without telling him exactly where I was headed to," he said.

I raised an eyebrow in a playful, yet teasing manner.

"Who is he, your father?" I questioned.

He chuckled at my words as he turned toward the balcony's ledge.

"You could say that…" he said.

I laughed a little as I followed close behind him.

"Please be safe," I spoke. He turned back to me and stared at my forest green orbs as I continued, "and thank you. It means a lot that you are doing this."

After a moment of silence, he slowly leaned towards me, making my heart beat faster than normal. I was nervous of what would happen next, not realizing he had actually thought of doing what I thought he planned to do. Keyword: _thought_. Before I knew what was happening, I felt only one single arm wrap around my waist and pull me toward him, embracing me in a comforting. It only lasted for a few seconds, though, but those few simple seconds made my heart stop completely. Every other embrace had been warm and loving, yet this one seemed...different compared to the others. What that difference was I would not know. He pulled back slowly, releasing me from his warm embrace, before quickly jumping off the ledge before I even had the chance to say good-bye. My flushed face was able to pull a small smile without giggling like a child. _That was so much like him_, I thought to myself. _Embrace me as if the world was going to end before jumping off a balcony ledge before anyone does anything._

Smiling, I walked over to my balcony doors and opened it, walking inside to see my friends. They sat in their usual spots, waiting for my return to the room, as I closed and locked the doors behind me. They looked as if Altaïr had not been there at all. I turned back to them to notice their expressions. Alexandra had a huge smirk on her face, while Ada had a bit of a dazed expression written on her face. I raised an eyebrow at them, mostly at Alexandra, since Ada was distracted in her own thoughts for the time being.

"What?" I asked them.

Alexandra giggled a bit.

"That...was very sweet of him to do that. You know, before leaving," she said, her smirk growing ever so slightly. "He may be the first man who has ever done that to you."

I rolled my eyes.

"He is not the first man to do that," I stated, " now may I explain the plan that Altaïr came up with now?"

"Yes, yes. Continue," Alexandra waved her hand nonchalantly.

"Anyway, Altaïr told me that a friend of his found out that Abel is getting some new bodyguards. He was not exactly sure who they are for, but Altaïr and I think they are for me and Abel himself, so he can stay alive all while keeping me around for the wedding. So, Altaïr decided to take out a few of the guards the moment they arrive and get the town into a panicked state. Once that is over and done with, we will slip out of the city and head toward Damascus. If we cannot go there, then we head to Acre. Pretty much we go back to our first plan, but with a twist."

Alexandra sat back in her seat, taking in the information rather quickly.

"Will Altaïr follow us?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I am not sure," I responded. "Hopefully he will, just to make sure we get there safely."

"Well, the plan sounds good, but how are you going to find out when those guards are coming?" Alexandra asked.

I remained silent for a long moment before looking away from them, glaring at a nearby wall.

"Do...any of you know where Abel is?" 

_**Later On...**_

"Cynthia!" Exclaimed the ever exuberant Abel as he saw me approach him with a not-too-happy expression. When I approached him, he quickly embraced me in a rather tight hug. "My lovely soon-to-be wife, how are you?"

Just like before, I refused to return the gesture, even though people were walking around watching us. Unfortunately, Ada and Alexandra had no idea where Abel would be today (nor did they want to), so I was forced to ask some of the guards and a couple of Abel's 'friends' – whom I had surprisingly run into – in order to figure out where he would be hiding. They said he was over by the entrance of Jerusalem speaking with someone about...about Lord knows what. Unfortunately, when I learned this new information, I was forced to walk all the way from across the district over there to see him. Surprisingly, I did not mind the long walk, which was possibly due to the fact I took the longest route I could find in order to avoid him much longer. Besides, all I had to do was ask him one simple question and get out of there. It was that simple and nothing to it, just in and out. Although hearing his voice again was something that would continue to haunt me to no end, there was no other way I could find the information I needed from him.

"I am fine, Abel," I said through my clenched teeth, faking a smile. "I just wanted to..._see you _and to ask you some...questions."

"Really?" He spoke, his smile growing slightly. "They are not threatening ones like before, are they?"

As much as I wanted to say yes, I forced myself to shake my head. For once in my life, it felt like saying no was the hardest thing to do.

"No, they are not threatening," I responded. "They are just a few simple questions."

"Alright. What is it, darling," he asked, brushing a some strands of hair that fell onto my face.

I swallowed hard, tensing at his unwanted touch against my skin.

"Was there anything that was…changed for certain purposes?" I questioned. "Like...hiring any new _guards_ or something like that?"

"Changed?" Abel asked with a curious tone. Then, he smiled with realization. "Oh! Why, yes there was! I forgot to tell you, my dear, that I decided to replace the old guards with some personal, more protective ones! It was a request I sent over to your father, since he had heard all about the incident."

I held back the urge to roll my eyes.

"Ah, I see." I spoke. "Do you know when they will be here?"

Abel thought for a moment, blinking his blue eyes once, before something clicked in his mind.

"They should be arriving on the day of the wedding," he explained. "Two weeks from now. The trek here takes a while, so they should be here just before the ceremony begins."

"All right," I said, nodding to him ever so slightly.

"Why do ask, love?" Abel asked, sounding a bit suspicious of my motives.

I sent him a..._warm_ smile.

"Nothing really," I raised my hands slightly. "I had heard a rumor about some new guards coming to the wedding and wanted to see if it was true or not from the man who requested them."

Without hesitation, he nodded and smiled toward me.

"Well, alright then, my dear. If you wish to be the curious type, then go ahead. I won't stop you," he told me with a smile.

I wanted to glare at him in response, but I simply nodded, gave him a small smile, and turned to walk away from him. After another few minutes of walking, I turned a corner and sighed with relief, thanking the Lord it was all over. For a long moment, I thought being there would be the end of me, but it was not so bad. Standing there with him made me sick to my stomach, yes, and I wanted to get as far away from him as I possibly could once again, but it was worth it. The only truth was that I was a little curious about those ill-brained, supposedly more protective guards. I was surprised Abel had so easily believed such lies. I simply wanted to know so the lives of those guards could end much quicker, thus starting our plan of escape. _And to think_, I thought to myself, _that Abel could fall for the same trick he used against everyone in Jerusalem_. It was rather pathetic, and funny as well. He may have been a good actor himself – putting on a fake smile and showing kindness to everyone he saw – but I just so happened to be one step ahead.

A small smirk graced my lips, a dark aura surrounding me for just a split moment.

"That's right, Abel." I muttered to myself. "You won't stop me; you won't stop me from gaining the freedom I so desperately desired."


	9. Revealed Secrets

_**Altaïr's POV**_

"You know, you have been out and about these past few days, Altaïr," said Malik just as I sat down in a nearby chair almost lazily, which happened to be very out character even for me.

I shut my eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply before sighing. My mind was racing with many different thoughts, but I did not want him to notice just yet.

"I enjoy exploring the city sometimes, Malik," I responded, reopening my eyes to stare up at the ceiling. "You should know how difficult it is to be an Assassin, so it is only a means of...resting, for lack of a better term."

Malik seemed to sense something was up, since he knew very well that I was never one for resting until a job was done. Even then, I would have made my way to Masyaf for the next target. He knew that well, so it was no surprise to find he was rather suspicious.

"I do remember what it is like, but due to certain..._circumstances,_" I sensed him glare at me harshly before returning to his work, "I can do no longer do that."

A sigh escaped my lips, feeling a stab at my side at the thought of the past.

"I would tell you not to dwell on the past," I spoke, closing my eyes once again, "but I would much rather live a little longer."

A growl sounded from Malik's direction.

"Moving on to something more _interesting_ than your demise," he spoke through clenched teeth. I opened my eyes and glanced over at him as he continued, "I have also noticed you have been around Jerusalem for over two weeks now." He paused for a moment. "I know the Master has sent you here to eliminate Majd Adin, but you claim he is in hiding and will not be able to kill him until he comes out." He looked at me this time. "Why is it that you are out and about instead of trying to find coax him out of hiding?"

"There are some things I need to do before trying to make a move, Malik." I said, looking over at him. "I wish to complete them first before making any serious moves."

Once again, Malik glanced at me, only this time his gaze held confusion.

"And what exactly would that be?" he asked with a suspicious tone.

I remained silent for a long moment, recalling Cynthia's words to me before I left, before slowly turning my head away from him. _Altaïr, I do not want him wondering why you have been around after two long weeks without returning to your Master. I think it is time you tell him the reason why you are still here__._ She wanted me to tell him the truth, no more secrets. Cynthia wanted me to tell Malik the truth of her being alive and I going against the Master's orders to have her killed two weeks ago. She did not want me to lie to a friend who may be able to help me, or us, in the coming future. However, it was Malik, of all people, who I had to tell. He had grown a strong hatred toward me after Solomon's Temple, which resulted in both the death of Kadar and the loss of his arm. Why would he wish to help me after all that had happened back then? With that in mind, how would he react to the fact that Cynthia was still alive? That was what worried me the most. Most likely, he would lecture me about how I, once again, disobeyed the master's orders, only doing what I wished to do, thereby resulting in the breaking of the third tenant. That, or he would send word to Al Mualim, who would most likely send some one else to kill Cynthia once and for all. My eyes narrowed slightly at the thought. I could not let that happen, I thought. Cynthia was an innocent woman who did not deserve to die. If questioned, I would say Al Mualim was defying the creed by sending me to kill an innocent human being. Still, I made a promise to Cynthia to tell Malik the truth instead of keeping it from him.

Another sigh escaped my lips before looking back at him.

"I cannot say what it is that I am doing just yet..."

Malik raised an eyebrow with more confusion and a hint of frustration.

"What do you mean 'just yet'," he questioned. He did not like being confused, especially when it was I who had confused him. "What is going on that is causing you to stay in Jerusalem for two whole weeks? Al Mualim is most likely wondering where you are!"

I slowly stood up from my seat and walked over to him.

"Because there is something I need to tell you first beforehand," I spoke.

He glared at me lightly, his suspicion increasing greatly.

"And what would that be, if I may so _kindly_ ask?" He questioned as he looked back down at the map he was working on when I arrived.

I sighed just as I stopped in front of the desk and took in a deep breath. _This was it_, I thought. I had to tell him now, or he would never let it go. Now that he was suspicious, there was no way I could possibly avoid it. Besides, I made a promise to Cynthia that I would tell him everything, the truth behind my disappearing act. There was no turning back. It may not have been something he wanted to hear, but he had to know and hear me out, hear my reason behind it all. It was now…or never.

"Cynthia Richard is not dead," I spoke in a low tone.

At that moment, he abruptly stopped what he was doing with one of the maps, allowing a tense silence to take over between the both of us. I made no sudden movements or sounds, and it felt as if all breathing had ceased entirely as I waited for his response (which I believed would not be good). A few more minutes went by, and both the silence and the tension between us continued to build. I had a strong feeling in the pit of my stomach that he was not happy about the news, but it did not matter anymore. I had my reasons for not killing her and sticking with the first tenant of the Creed just happened to be one of them.

After another moment or two of silence, I watched his head slowly moved up to me, his eyes filled with disbelief and a hint of shock at the words that were just spoken to him. Why was I not surprised?

"What...did you just say?" He questioned in a low tone of voice.

"She is not dead," I repeated, my voice remaining calm.

This time, he stood up straight, rage building up in his eyes out of the news just given to him.

"Why is she not dead, Altaïr?" He snapped. "She was supposed to be killed weeks ago! How could she still be alive?"

I kept my composure as I responded, "I could not kill her, Malik. She was, or _is_ I should say, too innocent to kill off so easily."

Malik shook his head as he turned and walked to the other side of the desk, running his hand through his hair, before turning back to me.

"You could have gotten to Robert and killed him just as the Master wanted! De Sable would have sought out revenge against you, and you would have gotten the chance to finish him once and for all." He shouted. "But once again, you have ruined it simply because you did not want to kill some pathetic woman who has no meaning in this life!"

A glare filled my eyes as I followed suit from the other side of the desk.

"It is against the first tenant to kill an innocent person, remember? You scolded me of that back at Solomon's Temple. Or have you forgotten?" I retorted. "She had done nothing wrong that would cause any problems to society, problems that would bring the attention of the Assassins to come and eliminate her! If she were to do something that goes against peace, I would understand the Master's reasons for her death! But she has not, so I did what any other assassin would have done and followed the tenants!"

"Whether she has done nothing wrong or not, it was a direct order from the Master himself," he shouted back, placing his hand against the desk just as I stopped in my tracks to stand across from him. "You would have gotten to Robert de Sable and killed him. That was your only chance to grab his attention, Altaïr! But no! You decided to do what you wanted to do yet again. You allowed that girl to live, while you went off to go wander around the city like a fool, as if you had done nothing wrong! As if you had not disobeyed your orders at all!"

"I was not wandering around the city like a fool! I was busy searching for Majd Adin."

"Did you not just tell me he has gone into hiding?" Malik pointed. "If that is the case, you would have to be biding your time and finding out when you will be able to eliminate him. Yet, here you are telling me you have not even killed Cynthia!" He shook his head; he was becoming more and more frustrated. "Why is that you have not killed her, Altaïr?" He questioned. "Why have you not killed her just as the Master told you?"

"I already gave you a reason, Malik," I stated. "She is innocent, therefore I cannot kill her without defying the Creed."

Malik's glare hardened.

"And I already told you that the Master _ordered_ you to kill her, whether she was innocent or not!"

"You would rather me defy our Creed instead? Just like at Solomon's Temple, where you lost both your arm _and_ Kadar?"

It grew silent after I spoke those words to him. Malik stared at me, the glare in his eyes changing to one of surprised. I, on the other hand, kept a calm composure and allowed my head to hang low for a moment in thought.

The way I saw the situation, he did not seem to understand my reasons for why I chose against killing Cynthia. He had always been a stubborn man – even before Solomon's Temple – always following the Creed precisely. However, I could not blame him all that much when I thought about it. He assumed I was being as arrogant as ever, only choosing to do what wished, thus resulting in Cynthia's life being spared. It was not because I simply refused to kill her at the time, but it was against the first tenant of the Creed to kill the innocent. It was something he hounded me about back at the temple. Cynthia was, and still is, an innocent human being, not some Templar bent on gaining control of the people in order to bring their own idea of peace. She had not caused harm to her people, seeing that they are the ones who take more of the brute force of Templars than anyone else. Not only that, but she also did nothing to the Brotherhood nor did she have any intentions of doing so in the coming future. From what I saw and the way she spoke, she had nothing against the Assassins to begin with; she had no clear reason to hate us. She may have heard much about the Assassins getting in the way of the Templars' plans from people like Robert de Sable, but it did not give her much of an incentive to despise us as greatly as many of the Templars.

My gaze hardened a bit with thought. Not only did I believe she was innocent, but there was something about her that made her...stand out, for lack of a better term, from the others. Unlike the Templars she had grown up living with (even though her father does not know anything about them), she was more focused on protecting those less fortunate and keeping them safe from the wrath of the Templars. Also, she had some charismatic feature to her, one I could pinpoint clearly. I had not been so intrigued by anyone like her, not since...

I pushed the thought out of my mind. Now was not the time to be thinking of the past right now. Now, I had to worry about the future, a future I was not really looking forward to.

Malik looked away from me, his gaze still hard.

"I suppose you are right about that," he muttered, looking back at me after a moment. His tone still held frustration, but had decreased at the mentioning of Kadar. "Still, that does not explain what you have been doing these past two weeks _other _than hunting down Majd Adin." He paused for a moment. "Care to explain?"

I took in another deep breath.

"I made a promise...to a..._friend_," I repeated myself.

"And who is this..._friend_ of yours, Altaïr?" He questioned. I hesitated a moment to speak not out of fear for his reaction but in an attempt to come up with a good enough argument in order to convince him of his ways. The silence, unfortunately, angered him even more. "Answer me, damn it!"

With those words spoken, I slowly looked back at him, my confidence building even more.

"I made a promise to Cynthia." He stared at me with a much greater shock as I continued, "Hear me out, Malik. I promised her that I would help her escape her wedding with Lord Abel of England. She, much like the civilians of the city, has suffered greatly at the hands of that man. He has lied to her people, but is treated like some god sent here to save them from their pain. It is something she would rather die than be a part of, to watch her people be played with like puppets. Even her own father has turned against her, forcing her into this betrothal. That is why I could not kill her when I had the chance. It was not only because she truly was innocent, but she was so willing to die by my hand all because of the suffering she had endured." I paused for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly. "That is why I chose not to kill her, Malik. Because not innocent person deserves pain. As much as I wished to complete the task at hand, her proven innocence and suffering prevented me from ending her life."

Malik stared at me for a long moment, staring at me with a gaze that made him appear as if he no longer knew who I was, yet I could tell he took in the words I spoken to him and tried to understand everything. Unfortunately, it was not clicking in his mind, and he was slowly becoming even more frustrated, as if I were forcing him to run around in circles trying to get him to find the answers himself.

"Why would you make a promise to an enemy?" He questioned after a long moment of silence. "You, of all people, who has always grown a strong hatred for the Templars, is helping one of them. Why?"

I stared at him for another moment before looking away, unsure of how to piece my words together without sounding...out of character.

"Because…I…" I trailed off and lowered my head.

"Because you what," Malik urged imp, drumming his fingers against the wood.

Staring at the ground for a few more seconds, I slowly looked back at him.

"Because I feel I have...grown attached to her…" I said, trying to piece together words that did not make me look strange, but at the same time help him understand. He simply stared at me with a blank expression, all emotion vanishing in an instant. However, although I had hesitated to speak at first, another burst of confidence filled my being as I took in another breath. "I am...not entirely sure if that is what I truly feel, but there is something about her that draws me to her." I navigated my eyes. "I do not know what it is, but it _is_ something." I paused. "I wish to help her, Malik. She refuses to be married to Abel. By now, it has been forced onto her by her father, and she has no way out of it. She knows that he is not the man others think he is, and from what I saw, I have started to believe her, slowly but surely. I wish for her to be happy, not to be tortured for the rest of her life by a man who does not give the amount of a emotion that a husband should give to a wife."

Malik continued to stare at me with a blank expression, yet I noticed something...different about him.

"…And you think," he spoke slowly, "that she will be much happier with you…don't you?" I stared at him for a long moment, though it did not take me long to answer him.

"If it means bringing her happiness and giving her the freedom she greatly desires...and if that is what she wants," I responded, pausing briefly "then yes… I do believe she would be better off...with someone like me."

Malik closed his eyes for a moment, taking in my words spoken to him and thinking it through, before opening them again. I was right when I said something had changed in Malik, but what that change was I could not say for myself.

"I have not seen you this way in a long time, Altaïr. Let alone with a Templar, of all people," he started, looking away from me and staring at something on the floor. "But I can see in your eyes and hear it in your voice that you truly care about the girl, even though she is the enemy, our enemy. As much as that...worries me, which is rather rare for to be worried about _you_ of all people," He looked back at me, "I have no control as to who you choose to be with." A pause as he turned away from me. "I have to think this through, seeing as it is of...great importance to you. Go…wander around like the fool you are for a little while."

My head lowered a bit, but not out of shame, but out of respect for his decision to think it over.

"My apologies for keeping the truth from you for so long, Malik." I spoke, "I should have told you everything from the start, but feared you would send word to the Master immediately…"

He turned his head toward me, a dull look in eyes.

"We shall see of your apologies are worth accepting, Altaïr." He said before I left the room, leaving him to his thoughts.

_Yes_, I thought to myself as I climbed out of the bureau, _we shall see._

_**General POV**_

When it was safe to say that Altaïr had left the bureau, Malik slowly turned back around, staring at the spot where the assassin once stood. His mind was swimming with thoughts of Altaïr's words, how defensive he became over a Templar. A Templar! _Of all the people in the world_, he thought as he ran a hand through his hair and sighed, _he just had to go chasing after the enemy, especially the daughter of Richard no less_. Unfortunately, there was not much he could do to stop him from seeing her and assisting her in the escape, as he had most likely been doing for the past few weeks that he had been here. He was doing what he felt was the right thing to do, but he was also slowly growing attached to her, falling for her. That was something that was _never _meant to happen. However, it was as mentioned before, there was no much he could do to stop it. Falling for another was something he could not prevent – even if Altaïr was not entirely sure just yet – but he certainly did not expect him to be so...so calm and mellow about it. It was as if he _wanted_ it to be a part of his life again, to feel it again. It was clear to Malik that, way before Cynthia came into the picture, the arrogant Assassin was never one to be so interested in romance, as the Master deemed it weakening to Assassins. It had been that way after the last woman whom he thought he had fallen in love with. Adha, he remembered. He had not heard Altaïr speak her name or feel any emotions about her in a rather long time, especially after what happened.

He shook the thoughts out of his mind. Now, was not the time to dwell on the past. He had to worry about what was going on at the present time, and how Altaïr was putting his life, as well as Cynthia's, at risk should the Master, or the even Templars, find out.

The Dai clenched his fist before he began pacing, his mind racing. When he thought about it, what would happen if Al Mualim did find out that Altaïr was busy seeing Cynthia Richard instead of killing her, just as he ordered weeks ago? How would the Master feel if he found out that the stoic Assassin was helping Richard's daughter escape a wedding she supposedly did not want, while at the same time falling for her? Malik would not be surprised if the Master sent off another Assassin to have Cynthia killed with so much as a single moment of hesitation, then bring Altaïr back to Masyaf by force. He would not be surprised to hear if said Assassin was killed off for disregarding orders, either.

Malik stopped walking in that instant, a thought crossing his mind. _Come to think of it_, he thought, _Altaïr was following the Creed and staying his blade from the flesh of an innocent person, just as he should have_. Yes, Cynthia may have been a Templar, and Templars were the mortal enemy of the Assassins, but according to Altaïr she was innocent as well. When he thought long and hard about it, what had Cynthia actually done to anyone – let alone the Assassins – that would cause any harm to society? Would Altaïr really be killed for following the Assassin's Creed despite having gone against the Master's orders? _He shouldn't be_, Malik thought, glancing down at the papers and maps on his desk. That would be unfair, to take the life of an Assassin simply because he was standing by the Creed like he should have. Whether it was an order or not, he was doing what he felt was the right thing to do. If Al Mualim were to find out that Altaïr had not killed Cynthia, Malik knew his friend would put up a reasonable argument against the Master, as he had done moments ago. However, he would have nothing to back himself if he brought up the fact that he had started growing feelings for the woman as well.

Not only was it forbidden to fall in love from what all Assassins understood – the Master claimed it would make the Assassins weaker – but it would be considered treason, a betrayal, to be falling for a Templar. Altaïr would have no way to get himself out of the grave he had already dug up for himself; Al Mualim would consider him traitorous, a Templar himself, and either exile him or execute him for his actions. Either way, Altaïr would be dealt with by Al Mualim immediately. That would only happen if the Master caught wind of his late night visitations and planned escape with Cynthia – now that he thought about it, he would probably deal with her shortly after he is through with Altaïr. _It seems cruel_, Malik thought, _to be taken away from someone you thought you loved dearly despite only trying to help them._ Yet, it _was_ considered treason within the Order, and any Assassin would be killed for it. Added with the fact that it was someone that was _ordered_ to be killed, not just any other Templar that got in the way, that just made matters that much worse than before.

Sighing, Malik pinched the bridge of his nose, a futile attempt at calming his forming headache due to pondering the situation for far too long and much too hard. He was never one for choosing any sides of arguments, especially if it was Altaïr's side of the situation. However, the stoic Assassin did just as he was told, as he had mentioned before. In a manner of speaking, yes, but he did it. He followed the first tenant of the Assassin's Creed and spared Cynthia's supposedly innocent life. Unfortunately, it was at the cost of defying an order from Al Mualim himself, therefore cause problems for both him and Cynthia.

"Why must you cause so many problems with the Assassins, Altaïr...?" He muttered, running his hand through his dark colored hair. "The only thing you are doing is bringing your own death that much closer to you...simply because you could not help sparing a Templar."


	10. We Were Never Enemies

_**Later That Night...**_

_**Cynthia's POV**_

"Oh! I cannot find a way through this city," I groaned with frustration, glaring at a map of Jerusalem that I had stolen from Abel's quarters while he was away. Altaïr simply sat next to me, staring at the map from over my should rather intently, as if he were searching for something. "This map is not telling me anything at all!"

Nighttime had, once again, arrived rather quickly to me, and just like every other night, I was on the roof top with Altaïr. This time, though, we had much more important things to figure out instead of our usual nighttime reminiscing as we had done in the past. Tonight, we had to make sure the whole escape was thoroughly planned out and ready to go before the wedding arrived. There had to be no flaws within the plan, and if there was we would solve it and keep pressing forward. As of now, Altaïr and I needed to find a route that would be the shortest and quickest way to the main gate of Jerusalem, but without being seen by any of the guards who may have been patrolling. I was able to sneak the map from Abel's study while he was away, and no one seemed to notice me at all. Unfortunately, I just so happened to be a horrible map reader and was greatly frustrated over what I was looking at. I had never been one to look over maps and immediately tell which way was which, since the streets that were drawn were rather small – a little too small for me to tell which was which when put to scale. I was always one to know places by sights, not by tiny pictures and maps. I felt I was just looking over a bunch of small lines drawn onto one piece of paper – all in a successful attempt at confusing and frustrating me further than I should have.

I sighed and handed the map over to Altaïr, much too frustrated to look at the piece of parchment any longer.

"You read it over and find the quickest way," I said, placing a hand on my temple and rubbing it a bit to ease the growing headache. "Those streets are much too small for my eyes to see clearly."

He chuckled lightly, causing me to give him an annoyed glare all while a small blush crept up the back of my neck.

"I do not see the problem at all," he said while looking over the map. "The map appears to be fine."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.

"It is not like I am not the greatest map reader in the world, you know," I stated. "I hope you realized that. Besides, I am not one to sit down reading maps all of the time like you."

"Of course," he said, "but I am not saying that _I _am the greatest at map reading, either."

I sighed and looked up at the sky, staring at the few stars that had come out.

"At least you could read the stupid thing. My head is hurting just thinking of it."

"Found one," he immediately spoke while pointing to a trail.

My head shot over to him within seconds, green eyes widening slightly.

"What?" I exclaimed in a low tone of voice, sounding a bit shocked to know how quickly he was able to find a good enough path for me to follow. _And to think_, I thought,_ he only had for a few seconds..._

"Right here, just along the city walls." He looked at me "Not many people are around there to begin with. On the day of the wedding, it should be clear of guards, since many of them will be at your wedding. It will be enough for you to make your way out of the city safely and unnoticed."

I quickly looked at the spot in which he was pointing at for a few more seconds, observing it closely, before looking back at him.

"That...that was fast!" I commented. "It would probably take me another hour or so just to figure that out!"

He chuckled.

"I guess I am the greatest map reader in the world after all."

I nudged him lightly.

"Now you are just making me jealous, Altaïr." I said, crossing my arms over my chest again and pursing my lips. He chuckled at my actions, while an embarrassed hint of pink formed against my cheeks. "It is not funny…"

"I am not laughing because you could not read it as well as I could," he said. "I am laughing because of the way you reacted. It was..." He paused, as if he were trying to come up with the right words to say. "...rather adorable, in my opinion."

I smiled a little, glad it was a little darker than the days before in order to hide my darkening cheeks from him.

"That is very reassuring to know, Altaïr…" I said, looking away and up at the sky. "I will try to remember that when you laugh at my misfortune simply because you find my reactions adorable..."

It soon became quiet after that as Altaïr placed the map next to him, also looking up at the sky as I was. It was more of a calming, tranquil, and comfortable moment of silence, one that I cherished greatly. Green eyes reveled at the sight of white specks of light shining down on us like lanterns in a darkened village. However, a thought I did not wish to think of began to plague my mind. My smile quickly disappeared at the sudden thoughts, a surge of fear forming in the pit of my stomach.

What would happen if the plan were to fail? What would happen if Ada, Alexandra, Diana, and I were discovered running away a second time from the wedding? What would Abel do if he found out what I had planned to do once again? What would happen to Altaïr if he was discovered _helping_ me escape from the city? My eyes narrowed slightly. _No_, I thought to myself, _that was not going to happen._ With Altaïr by our side, there was no way the plan would be able to fail as it had in the past, since we had looked over every single flaw just in case. However, another unwanted thought crossed my mind. If the plan did work as I wanted – as everyone wanted – would I ever see Altaïr again afterwards? During the plan, he was going to help keep the guards distracted while we made our escape. I knew that much, but what would happen when we made it out of the city safe and sound? That was the question that worried me most of all.

My eyebrows furrowed with a hint of worry. If I never saw him again, I would not know what to do with myself. He was the whole reason as to why everything was happening right now. He was the reason behind my perfectly planned escape from the wedding. Best of all, he was the reason why I had become much more free than ever before, more alive and wanting to live. If he were to just disappear all of a sudden, I would not know what to do. I needed some way of thanking him for everything that he had done, and staying around was something I wanted. Yes, it may have been only a short time ago that we had met, but meeting him was the greatest thing to ever happen. He gave my life purpose, a meaning to keep on living. Losing someone like him would hurt. I could not risk losing someone so great, so life changing, so wonderful as he was.

"Are you all right, Cynthia?" I jumped at the sound of Altaïr's voice. "You seem tense."

I slowly turned my head to look at him, worry filling my face.

"Altaïr," I started, looking away from him and out at the city before returning my gaze back to him. "What if...what if the plan does not work?"

"Why do you seem so discouraged?" He inquired. "You have not sounded that way before."

I shrugged.

"I do not mean to sound that way at all, really. But after what happened the first time, I guess I am feeling a little uneasy of the outcome." I looked back toward the city. "But to be honest, what will happen to us if we were to be caught by the guards? What would happen to you if you were captured?"

Altaïr stared at me from under his hood for a long moment, studying my expression, before taking my hand in his own. I glanced at him, feeling my heart skip at his comforting touch.

"Nothing like that is going to happen, Cynthia," he reassured me. "The plan _will_ work. I promise you it will. There are no flaws to it from what I can see, and it will go smoothly. Soon, you will be as far away from Abel as you wish."

I wanted to smile at his words, to let him know that they were at least working in order for me to feel better, but I could not do it. I could not give him any signs of reassurance to him, although I greatly wished to show it right now. I wanted to let him know that he had nothing to worry about.

"But...if it _does_ work – which I am praying it will – what will happen to you once the others and I make it out of the city?" I questioned. "Will you...will you allow yourself to be caught by the guards?"

"Of course not," he said, his voice remaining calm and reassuring. "I will leave the city and find you, wherever you may be. I will make sure they will not find you." A pause as he placed his other hand on top of the one he held onto, looking down at them. "No matter what happens, I promise I will look for you, and I will find you again. Abel, Robert, even your father will never be able to find you nor would they bring you back here." He looked deeply into my eyes; they were serious to the very point, leaving me speechless. "I will protect you, Cynthia, from anyone who will bring you harm and anyone who will make the attempt to take you away from your freedom."

I continued to stare into his eyes, observing them as if I would never see them again. His words struck even the lightest of heartstrings that had been sewn in. Even though we were on separate sides of this never ending war between Assassins and Templars, he still made sure that someone like me, a woman who only wanted to bring her people security, was safe. He meant every word he spoke, and his eyes were more serious than any that I had ever seen before in my life. He wanted to make sure that I was safe, especially if it meant returning to the Templars again. He wanted to do everything in his power to prevent the freedom that I wanted, that we all wanted, from being tampered. It was something he wanted to prevent; it was something that _I _wanted to prevent.

Smiling lightly, I placed my own hand on top of his, finally able to put on the genuine smile that I had been trying to put on for some time. A feeling in the pit of my stomach drew me closer to him, making me that much more comfortable with his presence. Who cared if we were on two separate sides? What mattered was that we shared one common goal; peace in all things.

"Thank you, Altaïr, for everything," I spoke. "Even if we are enemies, I greatly appreciate the risk you are taking, all so you can help my friends and I be free."

He continued to look into my eyes before I slowly and unconsciously moved closer to him, placing my head on his shoulder and sighing contently. He did not tense up at the contact, but rather accepted it.

"We were never enemies, Cynthia, not since I realized that, in a way, you and I are the same," he told me, releasing my hand and slowly wrapping his arms around me, pulling me even closer to him than before. "And for that reason, we never will be…"

_**Altaïr's POV**_

I silently slipped into Cynthia's room, carrying with the sleeping woman in my arms, since she had once again fallen asleep in my arms just like the many nights before. She appeared peaceful, almost angelic if only the moon were out. Without a sound, I walked over and placed her on her bed without waking her up. She still clung to my robes and nuzzled against my shoulder, as if she did not want to let me go. That was what it was like every night. She had become so afraid of losing me that she would cling to me as if her life depended on it, as if I would disappear from her life forever. Placing a hand against hers, I mentally reassured her that I was not going anywhere, for there was no where else I would rather be than with her. Unfortunately, with the circumstances as they were, being by her side every day was going to be a challenge. However, with every passing day, I knew that was slowly coming closer to me and away from the life she no long wished to live with, the life her father had planned for her, the life she was to have with Abel, the life of a Templar.

As soon as I placed my hand against hers, she slowly released my robes and allowed it to fall to the side of her face, moving to place her head against her own pillow. She had gotten the message of reassurance that I had silently given to her and released me, knowing I would return to her the next day and the day after that just as I had previously promised to her. After placing the blankets over her body, I quietly stood up and slowly walked back toward the balcony, leaving her just as silently as I had come to take her. However, I was stopped by someone I did not expect to see until much later.

"It took you long enough to return."

I quickly turned my head in the direction of the voice, only to see Malik appear from the shadows. His expression remained blank as he watched me.

"Malik?" I spoke in a silent tone of voice. "How did you get in here?"

"The same way you did," he responded. "Just because I am missing an arm does not make me a useless man. And besides," He looked off toward Cynthia's sleeping form, "you left the balcony doors wide open. Anyone could have slipped right in and you would not have noticed."

"I have a keen sense of hearing," I said. "I would have noticed anyone come inside."

He rolled his eyes at my comment as he walked towards Cynthia's bed.

"If that is the case, then why is it that you could not hear me come in?" He questioned. I remained silent to his question, knowing that I had no rebuttal to his comment.

"What are you doing here, Malik?" I asked, deciding to change the subject to something of more importance. "It is not like you to leave the Bureau without good reason."

"I was waiting for you to return," he told me as he stopped in front of Cynthia. "I actually followed you here, but chose to wait for you while you were away, knowing you would return with her eventually."

"So it involves Cynthia," I stated.

I heard him chuckle lightly as I approached him, remaining calm as I wondered as to what he was up to at the took a strand of her hair lightly.

"Do not worry," he said, taking a small strand of Cynthia's hair, watching her sleeping form as I had moments ago. "I am not here to kill her, if that is what you are thinking." He paused for thought. "I already told you that I was waiting for you to return and I am sticking to that."

"Then what is it?" I asked as I stopped next to him. "Out with it."

He allowed the piece of hair to fall onto her peaceful face once again before looking at me.

"I have been...thinking long and hard about what you told me for some time now," he said. "I will not lie to you. You were right in your defense of this girl, although she is the enemy to our Order. Cynthia, from what I have heard, does appear and act as an innocent should, despite knowing less about her unlike you. You tell me she has done nothing wrong that would bring in the Order." He closed his eyes. "As much as I do not like the situation as it is, I feel I am starting to believe you as well. As much as I would rather not, seeing as you are still defying orders, it is true." He opened his eyes and looked back at her, examining her for a moment. "Still, it was the Master's orders to have her killed, yet I am still not fully sure _why_ Al Mualim would want her dead in the first place. He should have sent word out to me of her wanted death, but no word has come."

"I will deal with the Master's orders later," I told him, glancing at Cynthia for a brief moment before turning around and walking back toward the balcony. "I have more important things to worry about right now."

"Like Cynthia's escape from her wedding?" Malik asked. I stopped walking and turned to look at him, navigating my eyes a bit, before slowly nodding. "I overheard you speaking of it when I arrived here, so do not be alarmed by my knowledge of it." He turned to look at me now. "Do you already know what you are doing when the time arises?"

"Yes," I told him. "We simply had to find the fastest route to the main gate and that was it. Now, all we have to do is wait for Abel's guards to arrive."

"I see…" he said. "It appears you have everything planned out by now, and without my help no less."

"Cynthia is not stupid, as you have made her out to be in such a short amount of time. She is smarter than you think."

"I am not all that surprised," he glanced at her before turning to walk toward me. I watched as he approached me, only to stop next to me, staring out at the city quietly for a long moment, before glancing at me. "As much as it goes against everything that we have learned to follow, I will keep this a secret from everyone, including Al Mualim. I can tell from the way you speak and the way you look at her that you are slowly growing more and more attached girl, Templar or not, and I have to learn to accept that fact."

"I do not look at it in way that involves who we are in this war, Malik," I spoke. "Who we are has not kept us apart from the things we want for everyone."

He chuckled.

"Nothing will change your mind about this, not even the girl herself?"

"She would not say anything that would ever persuade me otherwise," I told him. "I know her all too well by now, and she does not wish for me to leave her. Not with how far we have come."

"I can see that," he said as he walked passed me and out toward the balcony. Before he did, however, he stopped at the railing of the balcony and turned back to me. For once in a very long time, a smirk formed on his face. "But you should know this, Altaïr. Love can make a person do the craziest things in life." I glanced back at Cynthia, watching her for a long moment, before looking back at Malik.

"And you should know this," I spoke, a smirk also appearing on my face. "Falling for her now, with the circumstances as they are, should be crazy enough to consider me a madman."

"To me, you have lost it the moment you spared her life," he spoke. "Just try not to do anything that will cost you _your_ life."

With those words spoken, he turned back around before leaping off the balcony's edge, leaving me behind in the darkness of the bedroom. I stared at the spot that he stood at for a long moment, replaying his words in my head. His words spoke the truth. Love could make people do the craziest things. Although it had been a long time since I had felt the way I did for Cynthia, I would be considered mad for deciding to help someone of the opposite side of the war. I had to be careful with what I did, knowing full well the consequences of what could happen to both her and myself. I hoped that, if things went in our favor, it would not be too insane. My gaze fell to the ground in thought. Then again, I thought, I would do anything for Cynthia, whether it would make me mad or rich. It did not matter how insane it was or how mad it made me appear, I would do it. Still, I had to be careful with what I did, knowing well what could happen to me, what could happen to Cynthia. It could get the both of us in danger, or worse, killed.

My eyes narrowed slightly with thought as I looked at Cynthia, overlooking her sleeping form one last time before taking my leave. _No_, I thought as I shut the doors of the balcony behind me. _There was no I way I was going to leave Cynthia behind, especially through death, and vice versa._ Everything was slowly falling into place, just as she wanted, just as _I_ wanted. With that in mind, I could not fail her, not when she was so close to freedom. For now, though, all I had to do was wait for the right time to strike.


	11. Wedding Day Assassinations

**_Two Weeks Later..._**

**_June 9, 1191_**

**_Cynthia's POV_**

The sun's bright rays beat against my lightly tanned cheeks, causing me to stir and groan. After a moment, I slowly began to awaken from my deep slumber. Opening my forest green eyes slightly, I found myself staring absently at the dark colored ceiling high above me, staring at the small, barely noticeable marks that marred it. I was surprised that I was able to see them from how far I was, but did not pay much attention to them very much. After another brief moment of staring into the nothingness that was my ceiling, I began rubbing my eyes a bit, only to be blinded by the light entering in from the sun. Flinching a bit at the bright contact against my fatigued eyes, I sighed groggily and sat up in my bed to rub my eyes once again, blinking a few times until they adjusted to the brightness of the rays of light. Once I did that, I slowly looked back up at the ceiling, reminiscing of today's events that were about to take place very soon, events that I had been waiting to experience for two long weeks.

Today was the day had I had not been looking forward to, and yet at the same time I was. In the end, it would turn out be the greatest day I had ever lived to experience. Today was the day I was to escape from the wedding once and for all. Today – or yesterday I should say – would be the last time I ever had to see my fiancé ever again, the last time my father called me a child who could not make her own decision, the last time I would feel imprisoned. After weeks of anticipation, the day had finally arrived. The thought of escaping and finally being free began to plague my mind, bringing a warm and excited smile onto my face. After years of being stuck in the cages that was my father's stubbornness and Abel's selfishly controlling ways, I was finally able to break free from all of that and fly away to new, and possibly undiscovered places that I had never seen before. Not only that, but Ada, Alexandra, Diana, and even Altaïr were to join me on this day. This day was going to become better as the hours passed. All I needed now was just a little bit freedom – and a little less fatigue – to complete it.

Sighing lazily but at the same time excitedly, I slowly removed the covers off me, swinging my legs onto the side of the bed, and stood up. Then, I walked over to the mirror, picking up a brush from the dresser nearby before brushing out the mess that was my hair, smoothing out and making myself look presentable. My mind had been stuck on the escape, and excitement coursed through my veins. To know I was finally going to be free of Abel and all the other hardships was an indescribable feeling of happiness. Never would I have to deal with him or my father, never having to deal with them for as long as I lived!

I pursed my lips at the thought of my father, my eyes trailing to the reflection of the floor. When I thought about it at first, it seemed great to know I did not have to deal with him and how he only saw me as the little girl growing up claiming to become a great ruler someday. With time, though, I realized something. I was going to abandon him, leave him and everything that he had taught me while I was growing up behind just to gain the freedom I had desired for so long. To someone else, they would think I was out of my mind to leave him, my own family, behind. Especially after everything that he had done for me. However, if they were put in my shoes, they would probably understand my reasons for leaving. They would see how he constantly treated me like a child and did not see how much I had grown up over the years, how mature I had become. It was days like those that I wished to have my mother in my life, despite not knowing who she was. If she were still alive, maybe, just maybe, life would have been a little easier on me.

I stopped brushing my hair for a moment, thinking about what it would be like if my mother were still in my life. Would life really be better for me if she were alive? Yes, she would be able to convince my father that I was growing up and I did not need him. If that happened, though, things would be much different in my life. For one, I would never have been engaged to Abel, since she would have broken it off the moment I told her how much of a hypocrite he was. In fact, I never would have met the man if she did not approve of him simply by sight. However, with that in mind, would I have met Altaïr as we had weeks? My eyes shut as I sighed to myself, continuing to brush my hair. _Of course_, I thought to myself. It was just as he said, it did not matter when or where we met, we still would have met in some way. Maybe it would be the same if my mother were still alive. Maybe we still would have met even if Abel was not in my life from the beginning. Still, the question remained as to whether my mother would have accepted him or not.

The sound of my bedroom door opening was, suddenly, heard, causing me to break my chain of thought. Turning my head slightly, I took notice to my maid entering the room, holding an all too familiar white object in her hands. A kind smile formed on her face as she walked over to the bed and placed the white object onto my currently unkempt bed.

"Milady, your dress has arrived."

I faked a smile, though it was a bit genuine at the sight of the maid, since she was completely oblivious to what was going on.

"Thank you," I said to her. "I will get dressed in a moment."

Upon hearing my words, she stared at me with a confused expression on her face.

"You do not want my help?" She questioned. "I would not want you to do it all by yourself."

"It is alright," I said to her. "I was thinking about letting Diana Rousseau assist me instead, if you do not mind."

She stared at me for a long moment before nodding quickly.

"Y-yes," she said. "Of course, milady. I will go look for her right now."

With that said, she left the room as quickly as she had come in, closing the door softly behind her. Sighing, I turned back around and looked at myself in the mirror, watching my reflection as it slowly began to glare at me and vice versa.

_Forget the wedding_, I thought to myself. _Forget everything about the wedding_. Forget about the bouquets and requests, forget about the music and dancing, forget about the altar and priest, and most importantly, forget about Abel. I had to forget everything about the wedding and only think of the freedom that was soon to come. _Yes_, I thought as I set down the brush in my hand and walked over to my balcony window before staring out at the rooftops of the buildings nearby. Freedom was the main thing that I was going to receive today. For months, I had longed to know what it truly meant to be free, to no longer worry about taking over after my father and ruling a land of people. No longer would I have to deal with the broken relationship with my father, who could not see the pain in my eyes, my voice, my own soul. No longer would I have to deal with Abel and his selfish and tortuous ways of messing with me as well as my people, who were so blind to realize what kind of man he really is. The feeling felt amazing, knowing I was going to forget everything I once knew, or thought I knew at least, and finally be free for once in my life. Not only that, but it was to be with the people I cared for.

My smile grew even more. Yes, the people I cared about with all my heart.

The door, suddenly, reopened once again, breaking me from my chain of thought. I turned around to find that Diana had entered the room – thanks to the maid who had gone to fetch her for me. She had a confused expression on her face as she closed the door behind, her gaze locked on me the whole time.

"You wanted to see me, Cynthia?" She spoke.

I smiled and walked over to her.

"Diana! My dear friend!" I spoke with a little too much enthusiasm in my voice as I walked over to her and embraced her. "How are you doing on this beautiful day?"

She was about to return the hug, but I quickly released her go and walked toward my mirror once again, picking up the brush I held a moment ago and brushing my hair again.

"I'm fine," she responded with an uneasy tone of voice, walking over and standing next to me. "You are awfully happy today. Are you actually excited that you are getting married?" She paused as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you hated Abel?"

"I do," I said, setting down the brush once more, "and I am not getting married."

I turned back to her as she raised an eyebrow at me.

"What do you mean by that," she asked.

My eyes turned mischievous as I looked into her blue eyes.

"I mean we are escaping today...again," I told her. Her eyes widened with shock.

"We are trying again?" She questioned in a low tone of voice. "Why have you not told me?"

"You were much too busy catching up on your patrolling duties that I did not have time," I fibbed. "Ada and Alexandra know already, so you do not have to tell them."

She rolled her eyes at me.

"_Certains se sont avérés être des amis_," she muttered in French, although I understood what she meant.

I laughed a little and pat her shoulder.

"I know that, but in all honesty, I do apologize for being a terrible friend," I explained.

She shrugged, as if it no longer mattered to her.

"When are we making our escape, anyway?" She asked. "We cannot just leave whenever we wish. We will be caught again."

I looked out the window for a moment, and then back to her.

"When the time is right, you will know." I simply told her before walking back to the balcony doors.

"You do not know, do you?" She asked as she followed me.

"Truthfully speaking, yes and no," I spoke. "Yes, because there would be a signal to let us know. And no, because I am not sure what time that signal will go off."

"Oh, um, alright?" She spoke with a confused tone. "So, what is the signal?"

"I am not sure myself," I told her. I heard her sigh as I continued, "We will have to wait and see, I guess."

"You and your big ideas…" She muttered. "Sometimes, you never really think things through."

I giggled in response.

"You know me a little too well," I spoke, as if I were finishing her sentence

She laughed a little as we both watched the rooftops for a moment. All of the things I said to her, the signal, the reason why I did not tell her, were lies. I did not tell her the truth about our plan until today because she would wonder how I could come up with a plan as elaborate as that, plus I feared I would accidentally mention Altaïr if she were to ask me who had helped me. She knew all too well that Ada and Alexandra could not come up with it as quickly and efficiently as someone else, and telling her about Altaïr would cost me my head. Also, the signal was to be from Altaïr killing a few of the guards and sounding the city alarm, causing the city to go into panic, while the four of us made our escape in secrecy. As much as I did not wish to lie to her about it, it had to be done. I knew she was still upset about Altaïr injuring her despite not knowing it was unintentional in a manner of speaking. I had to at least keep silent about it until we arrived in Damascus. Who knew what might happen if we were to tell her now? That was one thing that I did not wish to find out, not when we were so close to freedom.

I looked over at Diana and pat her shoulder again.

"Come, Diana." I spoke as I turned around and walked over to my closet. "We have to suit up for the escape."

As I said that, I slid open the closet door and pulled out two long, dark colored robes. Each of them had hoods on them, and they big enough to cover our faces. Two more sat in the closet, which were reserved for Ada and Alexandra. Diana stared at them in awe, walking over to them and examining them closely. She was surprised by the texture intricate white details lining the bottom of the robe and the ends of the sleeves.

"My God!" She exclaimed in a low tone. "Where did you get these?"

"Let us assume that I know a lot of people in this city," I told her as I tossed one over to her, clearly referring to Altaïr. I explained to him one day that we needed some sort of disguise to escape the city without anyone noticing, although it was not a necessity. However, the next day, he comes back with the robes. I was surprised at the sight and asked him where he gotten them. He told me the same thing that I had said to Diana: "Let us assume I know a lot of people in this city…" I was not sure who those people were, but it did not matter anymore just as long as we got out of here.

"These are perfect!" Diana said as she looked at herself in the mirror. She had quickly put on the robe and was posing in front of the mirror. "I think these will work very well! They may be black, but no one will recognize that it is us!"

I sighed and shook my head, smiling a bit, before looking in the direction of my balcony window, my face turning into a blank, yet worried expression.

_Please, Altaïr._ I thought. _Just give us the signal to go..._

That was when the miracle happened.

**_Altaïr's POV_**

**_Five Minutes Ago..._**

I silently knelt on one, atop a building that was closest to the main gates of Jerusalem, waiting patiently for my target. As of now, the plan was working and in progress. Everything was falling into place; the only things that were missing were those personal guards that Abel had hired. Knowing that fiancé of his, he would want them immediately before the wedding began or even assembled together, almost as if they were here by surprise. Then again, Abel was as not stupid as Cynthia made him out to be; I had to think rationally about. I sighed to myself, calming the frustration that slowly began building over time. _There was no time to doubt anything_, I thought, especially when it came to Abel. _The plan was going to work and Cynthia was going to get out of the wedding for good_. Cynthia was going to be free soon enough, whether the Templars wanted it that way or not. Unfortunately, none of that was going to happen anytime soon if the guards did not arrive when they should have.

"How long does it take for a few guards to arrive?" I asked myself impatiently. "It should not take long to arrive here in just two weeks..."

As I said those words, I immediately noticed the familiar presence of Abel walking down a road, two of his body guards walking by his side probably for protection. I watched him carefully, hoping the guards I had been waiting to see would come out into the open for me to see. If Abel was in the vicinity, that meant the guards he requested would be nearby to see him. Abel, then, stopped for a moment, his guards stopping next to him simultaneously. Silently, he watched the entrance before smirking slightly. That face, that expression of the devil, made me glare at him and loathe him further.

"Flaunt your guards, Abel," I muttered, moving to a more comfortable position, "so I may kill them off."

Just then, the guards I had long awaited to arrive entered through the entrance, everyone of them dressed in dark armor. Judging by their large size, there had to have been about twenty of them, enough to watch every entrance and every rooftop that was close to the location of the wedding. They all approached Abel and gave him a low, respectful bow, with their leader standing at the front. My glare hardened further as Abel put up his innocent smile, the one that Cynthia had mentioned to me on many occasions. The dark haired Englishman spoke to them for a moment, probably telling them how grateful he was that they had arrived as soon as they did, just before turning around and walking in the opposite direction along with one of the guards at the front, the captain of the group I presumed. The guards, as quickly as they arrived, began to follow them; the perfect time to strike.

Standing up straight, I quickly pulled out five small knives, holding them tightly, as I waited for the perfect moment to make a move, a move that was crucial to the plan. A gust of wind brushed against me, making me take in a breath of air unconsciously. It did not take long to notice it. Smirking, I threw them direction at the five guards at the front of the group, each one of them hitting every single one of the guards directly, causing the other fifteen guards plus Abel to stop in their tracks and spot them slumping to the ground lifelessly. Several civilians shrieked at the sight of the guards dropping at the sight.

"Lord Abel of England," I called out to him. Upon hearing his name, he looked up to notice me as I leapt off the building, landing on the ground safely before standing up straight. I kept a blank expression as he sent me a glare. "Your new guards look strong, but will they be strong enough to protect you and your fiancé for long?"

"I should have known you were lurking about in the shadows, Assassin," he growled. "Come to ruin the wedding, I see? Is it because you are jealous of the love I share with my beloved Cynthia?"

As much as I wanted to strike him down for that comment, I was not there to kill him, but distract him.

"What love?" I questioned, slowly approaching him. "You say you love her, but do you speak the truth? Or do lie to make Richard and everyone else happy?"

He chuckled at my words as the guards held their weapons towards me.

"Lying is such a strong word to use," he spoke. "Why would I lie about the feelings I have for my darling Cynthia?"

"For wealth, power, recognition, the list could go on, Abel." My gaze hardened under my hood. "How long will your feelings for her last before you throw her away, as if she were a pawn in your little game, in your quest for power?"

He laughed at my words.

"You Assassins are so stuck on the idea that us Templars are always out to seek power."

"We only say that because it is the truth. You are always enforcing your laws unto others and killing those who disobey, who go against you. You Templars are nothing, nothing but weak-minded fools drunk off power."

His glare hardened at my words.

"Guards! Kill the Assassin!" He commanded the remaining fifteen guards. "Keep him away from my Cynthia!"

With that, I quickly turned and sprinted away from them, brushing past anyone that stood in the way of my path. The guards were close behind judging by their footsteps, which happened to be perfect. A smirk formed on my lips as the alarm sounded in the city, knowing what was to happen next.

_Now_, Cynthia, I thought to myself. _Now is the time to go, to be free..._

* * *

**Translation(s)**:

1.) _Certains se sont avérés être des amis._

**T**: Some friends you turned out to be.

A/N: Thank you to Tenaviel for fixing the French dialogue in the story. Very much appreciated! :)


	12. The Great Escape Pt I

_**Cynthia's POV**_

The bells of the city alarm suddenly began ringing, echoing across the entire city of Jerusalem as a signal of danger. My eyes widened slightly at the sudden sound, shocked to find that they had gone off the moment that I had requested it to do so. My wish had been granted; I assumed, and as of now, the plan had all ready begun its first stages. _Altaïr must have stolen the attention of the guards_, I thought, _and now he should be busy distracting those fools as we speak_. Now there was no time to waste standing here reveling in the sound of signal. Now, it was the time to make our escape, the great escape; while the guards were occupied and no one was watching when they were supposed to be keeping me safe from harm from the very beginning. A smile formed on my face. The sense of freedom was slowly but surely coming to me. The only way I could reach it was if I chased after it, sought it out, grasped it in the palms of my own hands. Then, and only then would I know what the true meaning of freedom, of life, of and peace, was.

"What the Hell?" muttered Diana as she approached the balcony doors, "_Qu'est-ce qui se passe?_"

My smile grew even more at her question.

"That is the signal," I responded, turning my head to her. "Now, we make our escape!"

The young auburn haired woman looked back at me as I slipped on the dark robe with haste; confusion written on her lightly paled face.

"This is the signal?" She asked, earning a nod from me. "_Etes-vous hors de votre esprit?_" I tossed her another black robe. "What is this for?"

"Go and find Ada. She should be busying patrolling, as is Alexandra," I explained. "I will find Alexandra and give the robe to her. Meet me at the city walls of the Poor District and stay in the shadows." I looked back at her, a serious expression written on my face. "We do not want anyone becoming suspicious of what we are doing...or going to do."

She blinked once.

"But you cannot walk out of this building looking like that!" I quickly put up my hood. "How are you going to get around them?"

I stared at her for a long moment before looking toward my balcony, staring at the rays while listening to the echoing sound of the city bells. At that moment, one thought crossed my mind, a single memory appeared before my eyes. I recalled one night from last, when I was with Altaïr and had assassinated Majd Adin, when I asked him how he was able to hide from or escape the guards so easily. I blinked once as a small smirk crossed my lips, remembering very vividly his response;

"We Assassins always take to the rooftops. Some may follow us, but by the time they reach the top, we are all ready gone."

With those words in mind, I approached the balcony doors hastily and opened the doors, standing there and taking in the breeze that had entered the room. I sensed Diana watching me, wondering what I was up to and why I had approached the balcony so suddenly and abruptly. Inhaling in a deep, shaky breath, I stared at the roof that stood across from my balcony as it basked in the rays of the sunlight. It appeared to be close enough to actually leap onto if I picked up enough speed to do it. Unfortunately, the distance from the doors to the edge of the balcony itself was wide enough to walk around on, but not long enough to give me the speed I need to actually leap onto the next building. However, if I moved back far enough, it may have been a good enough length to give me a chance. I pursed my lips. _There was no way I would be able to figure it all out_, I thought, _until I actually tried_.

Taking in another deep breath, I began taking a few steps back, my eyes remaining locked on the building across from me.

"Cynthia, what are you doing?" Diana questioned, watching me with a bit of curiosity and worry.

For a moment, I did not respond to her, but remained focused on what I planned to do. I continued taking steps back until I felt my legs brush against the side of my bed. At that point, I began breathing deeply, as if I were unconsciously trying to calm my nerves.

"I am going to try something..." I finally responded, "...something absolutely crazy."

With those words spoken, my legs suddenly acted as I began sprinting toward the edge of the balcony as fast as I could. Diana attempted to stop me by grabbing my arm, realizing what I had just said, but was unable to grab a hold of me. A surge of excitement began to fill my body as the ledge of the balcony railing began to approach me, as if I were taking leap of faith if my own in order to gain the freedom I had desired for so long. _Yes_, I thought, _a leap of faith, much like what Altaïr did nearly every single day as an Assassin_. When I thought about it, doing something like this – leaping between gaps in order to reach the other side – made me feel a lot like Altaïr, a lot like an Assassin. Although I was a Templar, I truly felt like my supposed enemy. With that in mind, questions entered my head. If I were to leave Jerusalem for good and escape the wedding, would I still be considered a Templar, or one of them? If not, would I join the side with whom the Templars had been fighting against for so long? Would I become an enemy of the Templars; the people I used to love and respect?

My eyes narrowed a bit at the thoughts and questions, yet only one answer crossed my mind as my foot leapt onto the balcony's railing: Yes.

I felt my leg push against the railing, moving me forward and toward the building in front of me. My arms stretched out in front of me, praying that they would be long enough to reach and grasp the edge of the rooftop. It felt like time suddenly slowed down and all else fell silent, with the only sound being my shaky breathing. The wind brushed against my face and rustled my hair. It was lmost as if I were flying across the sky, soaring through the air with as much elegance and grace as a dove taking flight for the very first time in its young life; as if it had no idea it could just spread its wings and allow the wind to take it places. Nothing in the world was able to break me from this moment, this leap of faith. It was as if everything in the world no longer existed in my life; nothing but that single moment in time, that single second. However, all things must come to an end eventually. That ending happened to be my hands connecting to the edge of the rooftop, my chest slamming into the side of the building and knocking me out of my thoughts.

The wind was knocked out of my body upon impact, yet I still held on tightly, gripping as if my life depended on it when in reality it did. Taking in a shaky breath, I pulled myself up onto the rooftop and quickly got to my feet. I sat on my knees for a moment, catching my stolen breath from the collision against the building, before slowly returning to my own two feet. I did not feel dizzy at all despite what had happened. In fact, I felt more alive, for lack of a better term. My arms were shaking, but not violently as most others' probably would have been. A smile crept onto my face as I looked down at my hands. _So_, I thought to myself as I clenched and unclenched my hands,_ this was the kind of thing Assassins did every single day: leap from building to building, leaps of faith, all of that stuff._ If only I had realized that a long time ago, experienced it myself, and understood what it meant to be one of them. According to Altaïr, the Assassins were not supposed to be blood-thirsty killers as we had made them out to be, knowing full well that they did not go around killing all of the Templars at one time, but only the ones that were the most important. It was mainly the Templars who dealt the most damage to people, _my _people, and did not care much for others (that, or they did but were injuring them more than helping).

I clenched my hands tightly, eyes narrowing. Now was not the time to reminiscence about the past, but look toward the future.

"Cynthia!" I heard a hushed call. Blinking, I turned around and spotted Diana, her face contorted into one of shock and fear. "What the Hell was that? Are you alright?"

I stared at her for a long moment before giving her a smile.

"I already told you," I started in a loud, but hushed tone so no one would hear me, "I was doing something crazy!"

"Crazy? You've gone mad, Cynthia!" She exclaimed in a low tone. "You could have gotten yourself killed doing something like that!"

"You need not worry about me, Diana," I responded. "I feel fine, out of breath but fine."

I watched her sigh and mutter something, but due to the distance, I could not hear what she was saying to me. Then, she looked back.

"Fine, as long as you are all right," she said. I nodded.

"Now go," I told her. "Find Ada, give her the robe I tossed to you, and remember this. Keep your hood on, your head down, and remain within the shadows."

"How do you know all of this?" She questioned, tilting her head to one side. "You sound like...like an Assassin or something."

At that point, my body tensed at the word Assassin. Thankfully, I was at a distance and she would not notice it.

"Diana, it is common sense," I lied. "I understand how noticeable one could be in dark clothing, especially when out in the heat. However, if you remained in the shadows, it would be less difficult for guards to notice you." She stared at me for a long moment, but I realized standing there was only going to get me caught. We were wasting time, and I knew Altaïr would not be able to keep the guards busy for very long. "Look, there's no time to worry about how I know this information. We have to hurry!"

Without a word, she nodded and threw on her hood before walking out onto the balcony. She scanned the streets for a moment before spotting something of interest. Curious, I also looked down to find some guards conversing with one another. I could not hear what they were saying, but after another moment or two, the guards ran down the street, leaving their posts unattended.

"Well," Diana said out loud. "That...seemed coincidental..."

Shrugging absently, she quickly leapt over the side of the building and landed safely on the ground, gripping the robe that was saved for Ada. Without even realizing it; I noticed that many of the civilians that used to wander the streets were no longer around, giving Diana a clear path on both sides. She looked back up at me, and gave me a small nod before turning and running in the direction in which I assumed Ada had headed. Knowing Alexandra was in the opposite direction, I looked over the rooftops of the buildings, and took in a small, but deep breath, before making my way toward the next building.

_**A Few Minutes Later...**_

My eyes narrowed as I glared at the crowd in front of me, waiting for Alexandra to pass by during her patrol. I hid in the confines of an alleyway, gripping Alexandra's robe in my hand, and waiting for said woman to pass by. I had spotted her moments ago, knowing she was headed toward me, before losing her within the crowds. At that point, one of the guards had spotted me from a distance, but thankfully did not recognize me in my dark attire. Not wanting to cause any trouble or get caught too soon, I quickly spotted the alleyway I currently stood in and leapt off the building, not even realizing how high it was until I hit the ground. I was unscathed, but I still felt a little sore in the legs from the high drop. Now, I stood in the darkness of the alleyway, waiting for Alexandra to pass by on her patrolling. I prayed she did not get dragged along with the other guards to chase down Altaïr, or the plan would be delayed a bit. However, knowing the dark haired woman, she would do no such thing, as the Assassin was our ally. Unfortunately, there was no way I could spot her through the thickening crowd, possibly due to everyone trying to stay clear of the chase that was going on.

I pursed my lips.

"Damn it..." I muttered, scanning the crowds of people in search of the dark haired Templar. "Alexandra, show yourself already!"

Suddenly, as I said those words, the environment went dark, as if the sunlight had vanished. The buildings turned darker than what I was used to seeing, almost blue. The civilians that wandered the streets turned into a dark grey color, almost blending with the buildings around them. My eyes widened slightly, shocked by the sudden change of scenery. For a long moment, I just stared at everything that I saw in front of me, but at the moment, nothing seemed to come up. It was just a bunch of dark colored civilians wandering by on the street. I assumed whatever was happening must have been caused by some sickness, but view, however, changed in just a few seconds. One particular person, just as they started to walk past the opening of the alley, had turned into a yellow-gold color. My eyes focused on the person for a long moment, wondering who it could have been that they had turned into a gold shade. Just as I began focusing on the person, everything suddenly returned to normal, yet my eyes remained focused on the person who was golden. It did not register to me that everything had returned to normal until I recognized who the person that I was looking at turned out to be.

My eyes widened as I took a few steps to the exit of the alleyway, but not enough to fully revealing myself.

"Alexandra!" I called out, but in a bit of a low tone so as to not alert any civilian who recognized my voice, which I doubted entirely. Oddly enough, the dark haired woman had heard my call, since she stopped walking and turned around, scanning the crowd in order to find out who was calling her. Unfortunately, her brown eyes did not fall upon me and simply looked out in the opposite direction in which she had walked from. "Alexandra!" I called out once more, only this time a bit louder. "In the alleyway!"

Upon reaction, her head turned directly to the closest alleyway she could spot, which happened to be the one I stood in. Eyebrows furrowed as she stared me, unable to make out who it was due to the hood. Nevertheless, I quickly motioned for her to come over to me. She stared at me for a long moment before looking around, possibly making sure there were none of the other guards were watching her. Once the coast was clear, she looked back at me and began walking over to me; her face filled with wonder yet caution. I could not blame her. I would have done the same thing if someone were dressed in a dark robe hiding in an alleyway, calling my name and beckoning me to approach them without giving any specific reasons.

Alexandra approached me as I moved further into the alley in order to keep anyone from seeing the both of us. She still held a look of caution, one hand placed on the hilt of her sword just in case.

"May I ask what it is that you want, madam?" She questioned; her voice disinterested as if she did not want to be here any longer. I smiled warmly as I removed my hood, revealing my brown colored hair and forest green eyes. Brown eyes widened as realization struck Alexandra. "Cynthia?" She exclaimed in a low tone. "How did you get here without getting caught by other guards?"

"I took the rooftops," I told her. Confusion filled her face, but I did not give her time to question as I handed her the black robe that Altaïr had given to me. "I will explain later, but as of now, we are leaving the city."

She took the dark material and smiled, yet her eyes still held confusion in them.

"The city alarm was the signal?"

I nodded as she began putting the robe.

"Yes. As of now, Altaïr must have gotten the guards attention and they are probably chasing him down as we speak." I paused for a brief second as she finished putting the robe on. "We do not have much time before they find out about me."

"Who gave these to you, anyway?" She asked as she looked over herself for a moment.

"Altaïr did," I simply responded as I threw on my hood.

She turned around as her eyes narrowed.

"You must be joking..." She questioned, earning a small nod from me. She sighed, "That poor man. Making him go through all that trouble just to get you a few robes."

"I did not tell him to get them. He got them of his own will. I simply said that we needed some sort of disguise, and the next day he comes back with these," I explained.

"Still, I feel sorry for him," she simply said while I shook my head at her.

"We do not have time to be speaking right now," I told her. "Diana and Ada should be waiting near the route we must take in order to get to the gates safely. Altaïr cannot distract the guards forever, so we must go now!"

Alexandra nodded before putting on her hood, as did I.

"All right," she said. "Lead the way."

With a nod, I turned around and ran to the opposite end of the alleyway, poking my head out to scan the streets. I needed to search for any of the guards just in case they had started looking for me. Suddenly, everything turned dark once again, the streets, the buildings, even the sky. The civilians once again turned into a dark grey color, but I could still make out each and every one of them. I still felt confused as to what was happening, but as I thought that, something strange caught my eye. Three red figures stood at the far end of the street, as if they were speaking to one another. When I tried to make out who they were, the world suddenly returned to normal as it had moments ago when I went searching for Alexandra. When everything cleared up, my eyes widened slightly as I realized just who the red figures turned out to be. It was the people I used to work with, the people I had followed all my life; it was the Templars.

"Cynthia?" Said Alexandra, breaking me from my thoughts.

Blinking, I took a few steps back, my eyes still wide from the shock. What the hell was that? I thought to myself. Why am I suddenly seeing colors on different people? Did it have some sort of meaning? When I saw Alexandra, she was a gold color, but when I looked at the guards, they were a red color instead. Did they have two different meanings; as if they were two different kinds of people that meant two different things?

"Cynthia, are you alright?" Alexandra spoke again, placing a hand on my shoulder.

Once again, my thoughts were broken. My gaze returned to her, yet they held confusion.

"Um..." I muttered, placing a hand on my head for a moment. "Yes...I think so..."

"Are you sure?" She questioned, her voice filled with worry.

I did not want that; I did not want her to worry. Not when we were so close to freedom. I sent her a reassuring smile.

"Yes," I responded. "I saw something...odd." She said nothing more as I looked in the direction in which the Templars were, only to find them gone; possibly going off to see what was going on.

Silently, I motioned for Alexandra to follow me before running out to the street, heading to wherever Diana and Ada were, hopefully, hiding out until we got to them. My mind pondered on the last thing I said to Alexandra for a long moment.

_Yes_, I wondered. _Very odd, indeed..._


	13. The Great Escape Pt II

_**General POV**_

"Where are they?" Questioned Ada as she and Diana hid in a nearby alleyway. It sat against the city wall of the Poor District, where they were supposed to be while waiting for Cynthia and Alexandra.

The two had waited in the designated area which Cynthia had informed them for what felt like a half an hour; while she went off to find Alexandra and bring her over to them in order to begin their escape from the city. However, it was taking much longer than what the two had previously intended when they first arrived in the alley in order to hide from any guards that passed by. Ada prayed that nothing had happened to the two while on their way over; as it would not only ruin the plan, but initially cause Altaïr to never see her again; for anyone to ever see her again. Of course, the young woman had no idea what exactly would happen if Cynthia were caught trying to escape; with the help of an Assassin no less. Still, the thought of never hearing from her friend; no, her sibling still lingered in her mind. However, she feared of Diana's reaction if she were to find out the entire plan was planned out by both Cynthia and Altaïr, or in Diana's case, the Assassin who had injured her a month ago. If the plan were to be exposed and Diana figured out the truth behind how everything was planned out, only God knew what she would do; how she would feel. However, now was not the time to doubt anything about the plan, nor doubt Cynthia's arrival. _She would be here_, Ada thought. Everything will work out just fine.

Diana scanned the streets for a moment before looking over at Ada, her blue eyes partially hidden by the dark hood, and strands of her auburn hair falling out.

"I'm not sure, Ada," she said, "but we mustn't worry. They will be here soon."

Ada sighed.

"I pray that they are safe from those bastards," she said. "It feels like it has been much too long since we last saw them."

"It feels like it has been much too long since you last saw them," Diana said, looking back out at the streets. "The last time you saw them must have been at least yesterday, so it is no lie that it may feel a bit longer compared to me."

Ada nodded and shrugged.

"True, but still, I feel helpless," she responded.

"Don't," said Diana, not looking back at her as she responded. "You should never feel that way, especially about Cynthia. She has a strong-will, and her determination is...beyond anything I have ever seen in my life. She truly dedicated to get out of this city, and I know she put a lot of hard work into this"-That you know of, Ada thought-"and is extremely confident that everything is going to fall into place." She looked at Ada and smile. "Cynthia is smart. _Very_ smart. She knows what she is doing."

Ada remained silent at that point as Diana looked back out at the streets to scan for anyone that appeared suspicious. She could not stand there and allow Diana think that Cynthia had done everything and Altaïr had nothing to do with it. He deserved just as much credit as Cynthia did; knowing the two worked hard to make sure it was perfect. Not only that, but Diana was her friend. Being left in the dark the way she has made her feel terrible. She hated keeping secrets from those she cared about, and that included Diana. Yes, the auburn haired woman did have a tendency to lose it over the little things, but she was always there for everyone when they needed a friend. Ada looked away from her, closing her eyes. Cynthia would have her head for telling her too soon when they have not even left Jerusalem yet. However, she could not keep the secret from Diana forever. It would gnaw at the back of her mind to a point where she would lose it and tell Diana everything. Again, Diana was her friend, and leaving one friend out of the loop was something she could not handle for very long without breaking. Slowly, she looked back at her friend, who still watched the streets in search of Cynthia and Alexandra. Forgive me, she thought.

Just as she was about to speak up, Diana suddenly placed her hand on Ada's shoulder, pushing her back slightly.

"Wha-?"

"Stop, Assassin! Stop being the coward you are and face us like a man!" Ada's eyes widened. She knew that voice all too well. It was the sound of Abel. _What the Hell was he doing?_ She thought. He was supposed to be preparing for the wedding, not running through the streets chasing after-

Ada paled. He was chasing after an Assassin. The only Assassin in the city that she knew of was...

"Altaïr..." She muttered.

Thankfully, Diana did not hear her as she silently looked around the corner. Ada quickly followed suit, staring in the same direction that Diana was. Her face, she felt, went cold, and her eyes grew wider. In the distance, she spotted said Assassin, running through the streets as if he had not broken a sweat. Behind him, several Templars dressed in dark colored armor chased after him, with Abel running at the front. Fortunately, Altaïr was much too far ahead of them to be captured, but if he had been running for a long time, how long would he last?

"_Ce salaud!_" Diana suddenly muttered. Ada glanced at her.

"What is it?" she questioned. The look on Diana's face; Ada noticed, was one of pure rage and hatred. Ada did not understand what she meant for a moment before realization struck her.

"That is the bastard who injured me!" She snapped before rummaging through her robe for a moment.

"How do you know it is him?" Ada quickly questioned.

"I looked over my shoulder to spot him when I was injured," Diana responded, pulling something out of her robe. "He was standing on the rooftop nearby, as if he were taunting me!"

"But how do you know he was after you?" Ada questioned, her voice slowly becoming frantic.

Diana did not seem to notice as she eyed Altaïr from a distance.

"He would not have injured me if he was not after me," Diana growled.

Ada looked down at Diana's hand, wanting to know what it was that she had pulled out from her robe. Her eyes widened at the sight, immediately knowing what Diana was planning to do. In her hand was a small knife; and she planned to throw it at Altaïr! Ada looked back at Diana's focused, yet angered expression.

"Diana, you aren't thinking of throwing that at him... are you?" Diana, in response, simply smirked. Ada's heart began racing. _She could not_, the brown eyed woman thought. If she threw that blade at Altaïr, he would not only get hurt, but he would be captured by the guards as well! Cynthia would be devastated to hear that he was taken away. He promised nothing would happen to him. He promised, and Diana was just about to ruin it; all simply out of anger. No; she would not allow it to happen. She would not let Diana risk separating Cynthia and Altaïr. Not while she was still alive and breathing.

"Diana, don't do it." Ada spoke. "The Assassin is not our problem!"

Diana's head shot to Ada, her eyes still filled with anger and the thirst for revenge.

"It is _my_ problem, Ada!" She snapped. "That bastard injured me and was able to get away with it! I cannot let him live for that!"

"No, he did not get away with it!" Ada began to explain. "Cynthia chased after him and got revenge for you!"

"If that is true, then why is he still alive?" Diana retorted. "He should be dead, so why isn't he?"

Ada's throat hitched, preventing her from speaking any further. That was it. That was the only time to tell her the truth. She could not wait any longer to say anything. It was now or never.

"Die, Assassin!"

The two women looked over to spot Altaïr running past them as fast as his legs could carry him, sliding for a moment as he turned the corner, never pausing to catch his breath for even a second. The guards continued to chase him down, but were only several seconds away from turning down the same corner.

"Now!" Shouted Diana.

Ada barely had time to register what was going on as she looked at Diana. Without a second thought, Diana, with as much strength as she could muster, threw the small knife in Altaïr's direction.

"DIANA, NO!" Ada shrieked as she tried to stop Diana, but she was unable to stop it.

With horror, she watched as the knife soared through the air, heading straight for Altaïr. Now Ada truly felt helpless, knowing what was going to come of this. Cynthia was going to lose him. She was going to lose her beloved Altaïr; and it was because Diana could not control her need for revenge.

The two watched as the knife embedded itself into the shoulder of the Assassin. He reacted, of course, out of shock from being from out of nowhere, causing him to trip over his own feet and go tumbling to the ground. The guards that followed immediately took advantage of it; crowding around Altaïr in a matter of seconds. Ada watched helplessly, unsure as to what was going on with him, while Diana simply laughed.

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "I got him! That makes us even!"

"Diana, what have you done?" Ada exclaimed. "He was not our problem! We're supposed to be worrying about the plan!"

Diana glared at her.

"I told you all ready, Ada!" She started. "That bastard is-"

"_**NO!**_"

Both women fell silent as they both looked in the direction in which the shriek had come from. The guards, who also heard the voice, looked in the same direction. Judging by the direction their heads were facing, it was down the same path in which Altaïr was running toward. At first, the two were unable to tell who it was that the shriek came from, probably due to the fact that they were unable to see across the heads of the guards. Fed up with not being able to see, Ada growled; frustrated; and ran out into the open, ignoring Diana's silent calls. Pulling her hood down even more, Ada quietly walked to a spot where she could easily see past the guards. Diana had quickly started following her, but remained silent as well. Once a spot was found, Ada's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to get a better look at who it was. She spotted, although at a distance, two lone figures standing in the distance, one standing in the front with their hands up near their face, as if they were shielding their mouth from view, and the other standing close behind. It took a moment to recognize them, but eventually she was able to, and her expression slowly turned grim.

"Oh my God..." She muttered.

"It cannot be..." Diana also muttered, all ready realizing who it was. To confirm that it was who they knew they saw was the shocked voice of Abel.

"Cynthia...?"

_**Cynthia's POV**_

"_**NO!**_"

My shriek echoed through the streets, stopping nearly everyone that was around me dead in their tracks. My forest green eyes were wide with shock as I stood there; struck with horror and fear. Alexandra stood nearby; also staring at the sight before her eyes, but was unable to say anything. Down the road stood Abel and several guards dressed in dark colored armor standing around on lone, white dressed figure. That figure, who was forced to kneel before the guards and that bastard of my fiancé; was none other than Altaïr himself. Even from the distance, I could tell his shoulder had been injured, hence why he was kneeling on the ground with his hands behind his back. By now, due to the shriek, everyone, including Abel and Altaïr, had looked in my direction. My hands unconsciously fell upon my lips, but it was no use. Everyone had heard my shriek, and everyone knew it had come from me. From the distance, I could the shock appear on Altaïr's face, knowing full well that I had been exposed. Unfortunately, instead of moving like I had wanted, I was frozen, struck with fear. My legs did not even shake; they simply remained stagnant, unmoving. My heart rapidly increased as Abel's blue eyes locked onto mine, despite my hood shielding most of my face from view. He stared at me for a long moment, eyes narrowing slightly as if he were trying to recognize me. I took a small step back, my legs starting to come back to me all of a sudden, but it was no use. His eyes widened slightly with recognition, causing my heart rate to increase even further.

"Cynthia...?" He spoke. My eyes widened even more, my body starting to visibly shake at the sound of my name rolling off his tongue. "Is that you, Cynthia?" He spoke up once again. I flinched unconsciously, taking another step back out of fear. Doing so caused him to laugh in response. "It _is_ you, my darling! I should have known!" He glanced past him. "And judging by the height difference of your friend...you must be Alexandra; am I right?"

Neither of us responded to his teasing words. Alexandra was too shocked to speak; to retort with a comeback of her own to retaliate against Abel's words, while I was too afraid to even move from my spot. How could he have recognized me? I wondered. My face was shielded by the hood of the robe, so how was he able to recognize that it was me standing before him? Was it by the sound of my voice? Was it my attire? How? At that point, I just wanted to run away from him, to get out of here as fast as I could. However, as much as I wanted to do just that, I could not. Not matter how hard I tried to move on my own, my body felt cold; frozen to the ground and preventing me from running away. For a long moment, my eyes remained on Abel, eyeing him from under my hood with the fear of exposing myself, even though I was far from exposed by now, before slowly moving to Altaïr, changing into one of sorrow and pity. His gaze locked onto mine within seconds, his expression calmed and reassuring. Despite this, I still feared for his life, unsure of what his future would hold.

"Altaïr..." I whimpered helplessly, nearly on the brink of tears. "I...I am so sorry..."

I sensed Alexandra glance at me, hearing my whimper at the sight of my beloved. However she said nothing to reassure me; although she wished to in some way. She had no idea what to say to me, and instead returned her gaze back to Abel.

"Are muttering something, my dear Cynthia?" Abel spoke, placing hand next to his ear as if he were trying to listen, but smirk as if he were teasing me. "If you are, you must speak up, darling, for I wish to know your reasons for wearing such a bland outfit instead of the beautiful wedding dress I had made for you on this special day."

Once again, silence was his only response from me, from the both of us. My throat felt dry and my breathing felt hitched. My gaze remained on Altaïr, though, who was trying his best to send me a reassuring, comforting gaze despite being injured and held captive by the guards.

As much as I wished to listen to him, as much as I desired to respond to him with a small nod or a gentle smile, I could not do so without giving Abel the impression that I was connected to Altaïr being in Jerusalem to the beginning. The pain that had consumed my mind, my heart, my soul; was much too unbearable to deal with any longer. To know he was hurt; that he was going to be taken away from me for an undetermined amount of time, maybe forever was one of the worst things to know. I did not want it to be true. I did not want to know bad things were going to happen if I were to leave him behind in the situation as it was. The thought made me shutter. I could not, would not, leave him behind like this, injured and in the grasp of the Templars. It felt as if my heart would explode, shatter into a thousand pieces, if I lost Altaïr at the hands of the Templars; let alone that bastard Abel. I had to stay here, I thought. I could not leave him in Abel's hands, knowing full well the consequences that would befall him. After another long moment of silence, I noticed Altaïr slowly shake his head, as if he could read my mind and know exactly what I was thinking. Fortunately, the guards were too preoccupied with me to notice him, yet still kept a firm hold on him.

He did not want me to stay here. He wanted me to leave the city as we had been planning for weeks. His gaze tried to reassure me, to let me know that he was going to be fine. My hands, which had remained on my lips for some time, slowly lowered to my chest, hovering over my rapidly beating heart and folding in a futile attempt to stop the shaking. He wanted me, pleaded me, to leave the city without him, to escape safely while I still had the chance to do so. He wanted me to stay away from here, away from Abel, and wait for him until he returned. The promise he made two weeks ago filled my mind and replayed over and over again: _No matter what happens, I promise I will look for you, and I will find you. Abel, Robert, your father; they will never be able to find you nor would they take you away from me. I will protect you, Cynthia, from anyone who will bring you harm or anyone who will attempt to take you away from me._

That simple memory, that simple statement, was very clear in Altaïr's eyes. That look was what assured me the most out of any other look he had tried to give me in the past few minutes. My heart rate slowly started to slow down, but still felt the fear of losing him to Abel; to the Templars, forever. However, I knew he was strong and he could fend for himself. He would be able to survive on his own without any help from me or anyone who would try to help him. Still, it was difficult to not worry about him as much as I did; and a little bit of help was not all that bad.

Before I could make a move or take in a single breath, a familiar voice appeared from behind the guards.

"_**RUN!**_" My eyes widened as the heads of the guards turned to look behind them, yet kept their grasp on Altaïr. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped at the sight that appeared before my eyes. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE! RUN!"

It was Ada and Diana! The two stood there, thankfully with their hoods on to be hidden from the Templars' view, waiting for me to make the first move. However, my heart began racing again, and my body began shaking. My legs felt cold once again, and I felt stuck to the ground. Fortunately I was not able to feel that way for very long.

Without a single word or even a chance to think about what was going on, I immediately felt Alexandra take a firm hold of my arm before pulling me along in the opposite direction, quickly turning left at a nearby corner and heading toward the gates as we had previously planned from the very beginning. However, we were forced to run two separate paths due to the guards, so it would most likely cause delays in our escape. My mind had gone hazy for a moment, stuck on Ada and Diana's safety. It was possible Abel planned to send half of his men after Alexandra and I, while some of the others went after Ada and Diana.

"Stop them, you idiots! We'll deal with the Assassin soon enough!"

My heart sank at the sound of Abel's voice carrying out from around the corner. At that point, my mind had cracked under the pressure, the stress of losing Altaïr to him; to the man who continuously tried to ruin my life with nothing but a smile and words of fictitious endearment. No longer thinking with my head but with my aching heart, I forced my legs to stop moving, causing Alexandra to stop running at the same time. She looked over at me as I struggled against her grip, pleading for her to release me so I could have a chance at rescuing my beloved Altaïr.

"Cynthia, what are you doing?" She exclaimed, trying to pull me along with all of her strength. "We have to go, or we will be captured again! If that happens, God knows what Abel will do as punishment!"

"I don't care! We can't leave without him!" I shouted, shutting my eyes in an attempt to hold back tears as I continued my struggle against her firm grip. "I can't leave Jerusalem knowing Altaïr is in danger; especially at the hands of Abel!"

"There is nothing you can do to help him now, Cynthia!" Alexandra shouted back. "He's in God's hands now! He will get out of this on his own!"

I shook my head furiously before shooting a death glare at Alexandra. The moment my eyes opened to glare at her, the world, once again returned to the dark scene that I had seen for the third time today. However, instead of being gold as she had previously been, Alexandra was now a shade of blue. Too worried over Altaïr's welfare and safety, I ignored it for the moment.

"I cannot let him die at the expense of my freedom, Alexandra! Our freedom!" I snapped. "I would _never_ be able to live with myself if that happened!"

She froze in her place and stared into my eyes, shocked not only by the fact I had actually scolded her for not listening to me.

"C-Cynthia..." She muttered. "I-I..."

Before she could go on, the sound of men crying out in pain and agony filled my ears. In a matter of seconds, my head rapidly turned to look over my shoulder in order to find out what was going on, only to spot a sight I never thought, never expected, I would see. Since the world around me still appeared dark and eerie, it just made the sight all the more shocking and confusing all at once. Standing before my eyes stood a small group of blue shaded figures, each one of them standing in different battle stances, blocking the path of a medium sized group of red figures. When I tried to distinguish who exactly each of the groups were based off the colors that surrounded them, the world had, once again, returned to its normal state as it had before. Although I had started to become increasingly annoyed as I was confused about the strange changes in my sight; my mind had become focused on something else within seconds. My jaw immediately dropped as I gasped in shock, as if my eyes had been opened to a whole new world. Standing before me was a small group of Assassins! Each one of them stood at the ready to fight as they blocked the path of the Templars who were once again cloaked in a red shade and protecting me from harm. I blinked once, wondering just what was going on, before a voice sounded.

"Do not stop running now! Keep moving!"

Jumping a bit, I looked up at the nearby building, spotting a figuring standing atop it. From what I saw, he wore a dark robe similar to my own, but the hood was down and his face was revealed. Also, the most prominent feature was his missing arm and white robes that he wore underneath the dark covers of the robe. As I stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to put my finger on the only person who had both a dark robe and a missing arm. From what I could tell, the only person I knew of with those known features was...

My eyes widened as realization struck my mind.

"...Malik?" I called back. "You are Malik Al-Sayf, are you not?"

I heard him chuckle in response.

"It appears you have heard of me from my friend," he spoke. I did not need to think about who he was referring to, as he spoke of Altaïr. "I am glad he has mentioned me to you at least once, but now is not the best of times to be formally meeting." He paused. "You must go now while the Assassins and I hold off these guards."

As I looked up to him, I felt my confidence slowly begin to return to me. Although I still feared for Altaïr's life that now hung within the grasp of the Templars, I knew with Malik in the vicinity along with other Assassins, he would be able to successfully assist his Assassin brother in his time of need. Just standing there, looking down upon me, gave me a huge sense of reassurance; one I had desperately searched for, sought out, when I looked at Altaïr with fear and shock. He gave me the strength to keep going while I still had enough time to leave the city before other guards found out about my escape. Altaïr, I knew, was no longer alone in this fight, and I would have something in my heart to keep me positive about his safety. He had his brethren nearby; I thought. I knew he was going to make it out of the city just fine and return to me as he had promised. No longer would we have to hide behind the walls that have kept us separate from one another simply because of who we were, and we could actually be with one another without anyone to question us. Finally, after so long, I would finally understand the meaning of happiness. After so long, I would finally understand the meaning of freedom.

Bringing myself back into reality, a smile formed on my lips.

"Thank you, Malik!" I called back just as I started to move once again down the path we were forced to take. "I will not forget this. I swear."

He nodded.

"I'll see to it that he is returned to you," he replied. "He is sacrificing a lot for you, and it would be wrong to see all of his hard work go to waste." He paused. "Just have faith. You will see him again."

With a nod, I quickly turned around and took the lead. Alexandra soon followed close behind after she had a moment to compose herself. The sound of swords clashing against one another was hear as the Assassins held off the guards, aiding us in our escape from the city. My legs, although burning from the previous run through the city, found enough strength to keep me moving without stopping. My mind told me not to look back over my shoulder to see if anyone other than Alexandra was following me. The fear of the guards chasing after us still lingered within my mind, but as soon as they tried to plague it, I recalled Malik's words to me. He told me to have faith in him; in the Assassins, as they would take care of and stall for long enough for me to escape the city and onward to Damascus. Not only that but they would make sure Altaïr was safe and able to leave the city in search of me. How could I not have enough faith to know Altaïr's brethren were on their way to assist him...all so he could see me, hold me and protect me from Abel and any other Templar that stood in his way?

After what felt like hours of continuous running and turning a corner or two, just to be safe, I suddenly noticed the main gate of Jerusalem appear before my eyes. A smile formed on my lips as excitement began to fill my body, causing me to run even faster than before. We were almost there; almost free from the life I had lived with for so long. Despite everything that had happened, I immediately remembered how much I desired to escape from this city. I remembered the excitement I felt when Altaïr came up with the plan in order to help me and I even remembered the frustration of not being able to read a map. As the gate started to grow closer and closer to me, I felt my confidence grow with every step I took. I could see visions of the great out doors in front of me, the breeze of the warm, fresh air colliding with my skin while I inhaled its warmth. I could see myself riding through the fields towards Damascus, never looking back to the life I had desperately sought to escape from. For once in a rather long, long time, I could see myself being free, free to do as I pleased, free to say whatever I wanted, free to be..._me_.

Before I knew it, Alexandra and I ran straight through the gates and out of Jerusalem. Oddly enough, the guards that once stood at the gate were no longer where they were supposed to be. However, I paid no mind to it and simply praised God they was no one around to stop me. We quickly made our way over to the stable in order to search for our horses. When we arrived there, we quickly spotted both Ada and Diana atop their own horses, whom they named Basira and Adiya respectively. Ada's horse, Basira, was a tan colored horse with big black eyes, a black mane and a matching colored tail. Her saddle was all brown and was securely fastened on the horse. Diana's horse, Adiya, was a brown horse, also with big black eyes, a black mane and tail. Her saddle, instead of it being brown like Ada's was red with some hints of yellow. The two acknowledged our presence with relieved smiles, but said nothing as Alexandra and I approached our own horses. My horse, named Akeem, was an all-white stallion with big brown eyes and a white mane and tail, and it had a brown and red saddle securely fastened on his back. Alexandra's horse, named Badr, was a black horse with a white snout that also had brown eyes, but had a white mane and tail. The saddle was similar to mine, but it was black instead of red.

The moment Alexandra and I got on our horses, we immediately turned them around and began galloping away from the city, not once looking behind us to see if anyone was trying to chase us down. My heart and mind began racing, knowing that I was finally out of the city. However; as I started think of my freedom, I soon began thinking about Altaïr once more. Although he was going to be safe with the Assassins in the city, he was still held captive by the guards. Last time I saw him was that way, but I was unsure as to whether or not Malik was able to get to him before Abel hauled him away for good. I chewed on the inside of my cheek for a moment. I need to stop, I told myself. I needed to stop thinking so negatively about the situation. I knew Altaïr was going to be fine both on his own and with some help. He was much stronger then to be captured so easily. Then again, he was injured, so it was probably going to be difficult to get away without some help. I glanced down at the ground that sped past me for a moment, my thoughts trailing off for a brief moment. He would live, I told myself. He was going to live and he was going to escape, just as I have.

Eyes narrowing, I pulled on the reins a bit. Responding immediately, Akeem slowed down to a slow trot, as if he knew that we still had to go. A sigh escaped my lips as I removed my hood and ran a hand through my brown hair. Then, I looked back down at the city of Jerusalem; the sound of the city alarms still echoing even at the distance. Fortunately, I was behind the others, so they did not and would not notice me stopping for a moment. Why; I wondered, did it have to be this way? Why is it that Abel; or the Templars in general had to come into my personal life and ruin things? They saw it as protection of the King's daughter; I saw it as meddling and annoying. However now was no longer the time to dwell on the past. There was nothing more I could do to help Altaïr. It was just as Alexandra had told me. He rested in the hands of God now. Unfortunately, I started to see God as a cruel overseer intent on seeing me suffer for as long as he wanted.

_Altaïr…_ I thought as I began to go after my friends. _Please, stay safe..._

* * *

**Translation(s)**:  
1.) _Ce salaud!_  
**T**: That bastard!


	14. The Heart Warming Reunion

_**A Half An Hour Later...**_

"We did it!" Exclaimed an exuberant Ada; releasing the reins and raising her hands in the air. "We are finally free!"

We all laughed as Ada's voice echoed through the fields for a few moments. After we left the city and ran as far as we could to make sure no one would be following us, we decided to give our horses a bit of a break, allowing them to walk through the fields instead of just running all the way to Damascus without any breaks in-between; not only that, but according to Alexandra she wanted to enjoy the fresh air of freedom for a while longer before heading to the city. She wanted to enjoy her time outside of the Templar lifestyle and just be free for a moment, kind of like what I wanted to do for months. The only difference between us was that she was not being forced to marry a man who could very well be related to the devil himself. Before that man could enter my mind, I quickly shook my head a bit. I did not to worry about him right now, as he was no longer my problem. In fact when I thought about it, all of the problems I had to deal with back then, my father and all of the guards who did not believe me as well as anything else that I could not think of at the moment, were now a part of my past. I could start all over with all my friends, with Altaïr, and with anyone else that I would meet in the coming future. Everything was going to be different in my life, now that I was beginning anew.

"Cynthia," I turned my head to see Alexandra appear next to me pulling on the reins lightly to slow down Badr. "Are you alright? You seem depressed."

I blinked once as I watched her for a moment, before sending her a warm smile.

"Yes, I am alright," I told her. "I must have been spacing out so much that I appeared upset."

She shrugged before moving herself closer to me.

"I actually thought you were still worrying about Altaïr," she spoke in a low tone, so as to not alert the other two despite it only being more for keeping Diana out of the loop for a little while longer.

When she said those words to me, my smile fell immediately, remembering exactly what she meant. Looking ahead, my face changed to one of worry.

"I wasn't until you brought it up," I muttered.

Alexandra cursed under her breath, clearly upset for bringing it up too soon before placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry," she said, "but you should not worry so much about him, Cynthia. Remember, he is an Assassin. He is able to handle himself. He will be able to get out of there, especially with help of...of..." I glanced at her as she glanced away for a moment. "Damn it, what was his name again...?"

I stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out who she was trying to remember, before the name appeared in my mind.

"You mean Malik?" I questioned. Realization struck her features as Alexandra snapped her fingers.

"Yes!" She exclaimed in a low tone. "Malik!" She sighed. "I cannot believe I forgot his name so easily. I have to thank him for helping us back there." She paused for a moment. "It means a lot...especially to me...that he is actually helping us."

I blinked for a moment before smirking.

"You almost sound as if your falling for him," I teased.

She flinched and sent me a small glare, but the blush on her cheeks was much more prominent.

"What? No! I have never even met the man," she spoke.

I shrugged.

"I do not know why it would not be possible," I commented, nudging the blushing Alexandra. "I mean, just look at me and Altaïr. We may not be together as a couple, but it does not mean we are not together friends."

Alexandra rolled her eyes.

"I know that," she muttered, "but you both are close friends. It could be considers lovers to anyone else if they did not know the whole story. That being said, what are the odds of us ever becoming friends? Hell, what are the odds of becoming close friends with him?"

I placed my hand on her shoulder, squeezing it in a comforting manner.

"What does it matter, Alexandra?" I asked. "When have the odds ever mattered to anyone? What matters is that it happens. That is all that should ever matter when it comes to two people meeting one another." A pause as she looked at me. "If you two were meant to be friends, then it was meant to be. If you two were meant to fall in love, well, then that was meant to be as well. When you find someone who will make you happy, hold onto them. Do not go searching for the love you wish to share with a man my friend. Let love find you." I smiled warmly. "That is why it is called _falling _in love, not finding it."

I watched as she chuckled at my words, but not in a way that sounded as if I were joking around. When it came to anything about romance and affection, Alexandra was _far _from it. She was never really one to go flaunting her looks around like some peacock. In fact, she rarely ever did much of anything to call to the opposite sex. She had reasons for it though. One of them was that she truly hated when men tried to please her, tell her sweet things and give her gifts only to try to get her into bed at the end of the day and leaving in the middle of the night. She was nothing like that; not at all. She never wanted to sleep with men simply because of the thrill of it. She just wanted someone who could treat her with some respect, with some dignity, and not like some whore desperately searching for man to sleep with. However, because of this, she had a bit of a tendency to go searching for love, as if the right person was waiting right around the corner with open arms and all the love in the world just for her. She may have been smart, but it was just as I said before. She was _far _from the romance; the affection.

"You, Cynthia, are such a romantic," she said. "And yet, oddly enough, I greatly respect you for that."

Patting her back, I returned my gaze back ahead, sighing contently as a light breeze brushed against me.

"Hey, Cynthia," Diana spoke up, turning her head toward us, "isn't it nice to finally breathe in the fresh air?"

I smiled as she took inhaled the scent of the open fields.

"Yes, it is." I simply replied.

She exhaled deeply.

"Ahh, it is so good to breathe in such fresh air, you know?" She said with a smile on her face. "Honestly, I felt suffocated within the confines of that damned city. It is hard to actually find time to come out here."

"We do come out sometimes," said Ada, "to travel from place to place."

Diana looked at her.

"_Without _the Templars breathing down our necks."

Ada nodded, understanding what she meant when it was explained. I simply smiled and also took in a breath of fresh air, closing my eyes in the process. It actually felt...good; amazing even. It felt as if freedom had an actual scent of its own, a scent I had longed to experience while living within the Templars walls and although I greatly enjoyed my newfound freedom, it did not feel right. It felt as if there was a hole in my heart as I exhaled the fresh air, as if something was missing, something important to me. As I thought this, I felt my head lower slightly. It was because I was not enjoying this freedom with Altaïr that made it seem like something was missing. Without him, the freedom I had long desired was not as enjoyable as I had wanted it to be. To know he was still back there, captured by the Templars, made me worry about him even more. Whether he had help, I could not help but worry for his safety, worry that they may hurt him or even torture him. If that happened, I would never forgive myself, knowing it was all my fault from the very beginning that it happened.

"Hey, are you all right, Cynthia?" asked Diana; breaking me from my chain of thought.

I looked over at her, faking a smile.

"Yes, I am alright." I told her. "I am just...getting used to the whole "freedom" thing."

She smiled at me.

"Well, you better hurry up with that, my friend, because by the time you do, we will be in Damascus." She grinned. "You will get used to it all soon, so do not worry so much. And if not, then you have your friends to help you out."

My smile turned genuine.

"Thank you, Diana." I spoke. "That means a lot to me..."

_**That Night...**_

Night had arrived a lot faster than I had originally anticipated. Due to our inability to see in the slow coming darkness, we were forced to stop and rest for the end. After tying our horses to some nearby trees, we eventually found ourselves sitting around a a freshly campfire, staring absently at the flickering flames. At first, the four of us chatted about anything that we could think of before it became silent as we ate the bread that we had packed yesterday night before heading to bed. Diana had fallen asleep about a half an hour later, her breathing deep and calm to signify that she was truly asleep, while Alexandra and Ada stayed up for a while and stared at the fire along with me. After a few more minutes, my eyes started to hurt, and eventually I began staring at the ground.

As much as I did not want to, I was still worried about Altaïr. I at least wanted to know he was alright. If I knew that much, then I could wait patiently for his return. Unfortunately, I still feared he would not come back, despite having Malik's assistance with him. It had been hours since we made our escape from Jerusalem, and hours since I last saw him, injured and held captive by the guards. Despite seeing him that situation, I wanted him to appear – for just a moment – while Diana was asleep so she would not know what was going on just yet. Unfortunately, he made no signs of being in the vicinity or on his way. My only fear at the present moment was that Malik would be unable to rescue his captive friend, ultimately causing me to possibly never see him again. I hugged my knees and sighed, nibbling on my lower lip. That was a worst-case scenario, one I truly did not want to think of, especially when it came to Altaïr. However, it was difficult not to when the last thing I saw was the person I was grateful to injured and held captive by Templars. In fact, it felt extremely difficult not to do so.

"Stop worrying about Altaïr, Cynthia." I heard Alexandra whisper over to me, grabbing my attention immediately. I looked over at her from across the fire as she continued. "He will be fine, trust me. Have you forgotten what I told you before?"

In response, I shook my head.

"He is an Assassin," Ada also whispered over to me. "He seems like the type of person who can take care of himself, especially around people as idiotic as Templar guards."

I sighed and hugged my knees even more.

"I know that," I responded, "…but still…it's difficult not to when the last thing you see is him being held by guards with a wounded shoulder."

"Maybe he is with Malik," Alexandra suggested. "Maybe he was successful in escaping those guards and went to that Assassin's Bureau you mentioned to us."

"It's possible, and I would not mind if he stopped there until things cooled down," I muttered. "But still, I am worried something might have happened. What if Malik was unable to get to him in time to save him?"

They grew silent after I spoke those words. Only the sound of Diana's calm breathing was heard at that point as we all looked between one another, replaying the words I had spoken to them several times. I could tell that they were a little surprised that I said those words, despite my wholehearted faith in Altaïr and his ability to escape the Templars. I could not blame them all that much; I would be surprised to know I doubted the Assassin's ability to get out of Jerusalem safely. I did not want to; they could see it in my eyes, but it was as I had said before. It was very difficult after seeing him in a tight spot before leaving him behind the way I did, so rushed and frantic. Instead of continuing the conversation even more than it all ready has, I clicked my tongue and slowly placed my forehead on my knees, sighing in the process. I felt tired, but worrying about Altaïr was keeping me awake for much too long, longer than I should have. However, no matter how hard I told myself to go to sleep, my body just would not listen to me.

"When are we telling Diana about you and Altair?" Ada asked. I glanced up at her, raising her eyebrow at her decision to change the subject as she looked over at Diana's sleeping form. "I want to know because I almost told her everything back in Jerusalem." She looked back at me. "I hated keeping this from her. It's not right."

"We will tell her in Damascus, Ada, I promise…" I spoke before lowering my head slightly, "That is, if he's still…"

Alexandra groaned.

"He _is _alive, Cynthia! Quit worrying and have faith in him!" She snapped quietly.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a snapping branch coming from the bushes nearby. My head quickly turned toward the sound as I got to me feet, Alexandra and Ada following suit. I heard them pull out their blades, while I kept my on the ground but nearby just in case. At that point, my heart began beating with anticipation. _He was here_, I thought. He was alive and had come to see me just like he promised. As much as Alexandra and Ada assumed otherwise, I no longer cared. They were not exactly sure if it was actually him or not, but I knew from the bottom of my heart that he had arrived. As we stood there quietly anticipating who or what was there, a dark figure appeared from the bushes, shrouded by the darkness of the night. My smile grew, no longer holding in my excitement, as ran over to the figure and threw my arms around the figure's torso. Tears were beginning to well up in my eyes, but I refused to go into a crying fit. I could not cry in front of him; it just did not seem right for me to do so.

"Oh, Altaïr! You _are_ all right!" I exclaimed in a low tone. "I knew you would not be killed or get hurt, I just knew. I did not want to doubt you, I truly didn't, but I was so worried that I kept thinking of the worst possible thing. But...it does not matter anymore, because your here and you are alright!"

The figure simply stood there for a long moment, unsure of what to do next. It started to trouble me. Why was he not hugging back? It was when the figure spoke that I knew something was not right.

"I appreciate the hug, dear, but...who is this Altaïr in which you speak of?"

My eyes shot open. It sounded like…a woman? Altaïr was certainly not a woman, I knew that for sure. Confused, I looked up at the figure to see who exactly she was. She had on a hood to hide her face, but a cloaked hand moved up and removed it in order to reveal herself. My eyes widened even more as my jaw dropped with shock.

"Aunt...Amal…?" I questioned, wondering if my vision was deceiving me. "Is that...is it really you?"

She blinked her blue eyes a few times, examining my face, before her eyes widened as well.

"Cynthia?" She questioned.

I smiled up at her, nearing the edge of tears, before hugging her again.

"It _is _you! I don't believe it!" I exclaimed, keeping my voice low although there was no need to any longer.

The woman I held in my arms was a beautiful young woman named Amal Bendaldjia, sister to my late mother and my beloved aunt. I had not seen her since I was just ten years of age, when she left on some mission to Egypt and never returned home. My father told me she was killed on her way back by bandits and that was that. Everyone forgot about her after a few short weeks, but I did not forget about her. She was my mother's sister, and the only person who actually took care of me when I was a child, unlike my father who was much too busy with matters of his own. I respected that, but it started to become a constant thing. I wanted to look for her when I grew older, but as time went on, I started to become busier and busier, eventually having to deal with my marriage to Abel, and I did not have any more time to go in search of her. For some reason, I knew Amal was out there, alive and well, but just refused to return home as my father wanted, as I wanted. However, she had her reasons for not returning, but what those reasons were I did not know for sure.

After another moment, I released her and looked up to her, smiling up at her like a child who had done something right.

"It has been so long since I last saw you! Where have you been all these years?" I questioned.

"I have been in Damascus," she explained, "staying hidden from the guards."

I blinked at her words.

"Why were you hiding from the guards when my father told them you were dead?"

Amal raised an eyebrow.

"_Your father _said that?" She questioned. I nodded as she rolled her eyes. "He _would_ say something like that to you; that bastard. Wants to be sure that the people do not worry."

She shook her head and sighed.

"What actually happened, Amal?" I questioned.

She pat my head and ruffled my hair a bit.

"What happened," she started, "is the Templars accused me of working with the Assassins while I was away, thinking I was gone for too long a time period, and convinced your father to sentence me to death if I ever returned."

My eyes widened with shock.

"I cannot believe it!" I cried, turning away from her. "My own father; my own blood relative, falling for such accusations!" I paused for a moment. "Not that...there's anything wrong with the Assassins, but to accuse you and sentence you to death so quickly?" I looked back at her. "That is unfair and cruel!"

She stared at me for a moment with a blank expression before blinking once and sending me a smile.

"Um, it is nothing to worry about, my dear," she spoke. "As long as I am alive, there is nothing to worry about, right?"

I smiled at her words.

"Yes, that is true." I responded.

"Lady Amal," Alexandra spoke, sheathing her sword. "It is such an honor to be in your presence."

We looked over at the two to find the bowing slightly, showing her some respect. Amal rolled her eyes at my friends, laughing at their gesture of respect sent toward her. Amal, before her disappearance and supposed death, was very well respected throughout the Knights Templar, despite being a woman and not a full fledged knight herself. Many people looked up to her, as she was a strong-willed, kind, and independent young woman. She always looked out for the people and treated them with respect, hence one of the reasons why I did it as I had learned it from her. No one thought negatively of her, and believed she was a brilliant person. She never caused any kind of trouble, and if it arose, she was always one to end any kind of dispute or situation herself. In other words, she was a brilliant woman, strong and caring toward others, and was like a second mother to me. She always told me stories from her childhood, and even told me a lot about my mother. Whenever I was with her, it was as if my mother were sitting there, telling me all those stories about her and her days as a child. I felt more complete, more connected to my mother, despite not knowing exactly who she was.

"Oh, there is no need for all of the respect, ladies," said Amal, waving her hand nonchalantly in their direction. "Just because my sister was close to the King does not mean you have to be so formal about it."

Alexandra looked over at her with a shocked expression as she stood straight up along with Ada.

"Of course, but it is so sudden to see you out here, alive and breathing, when the King told us you had died," she explained. "You were such a role model to many people that it devastated everyone when Richard had broken the news."

Amal rolled her eyes.

"He did not want people to rise up against him if they knew he had accused me of being something I am not. Possibly because the Templars, unbeknownst to Richard, lied and said I was dead." She seemed to hesitate a moment as she finished her sentence. "I am surprised he would believe such a thing, but I guess I will never know."

"No one will ever understand my father," I commented, looking down at the ground with what appeared to be shame.

She turned her head and smiled at me just as I looked back up at her. Her kind smile gave me a bit of a calming, hopeful sense to mind.

"So tell me, Cynthia," she spoke, crossing her arms over her chest. "Who is this Altaïr in which you called me before?"

When she spoke his name, I felt my throat run dry for a brief moment, tension building up. However, I did not feel nervous to speak of him as I thought I would. I knew I could trust my aunt with my life; knowing she was trustworthy and knew how to keep a secret from any and all who wanted to know. I glanced over at Alexandra and Ada, who gave me approving nods to let her in on the secret. After that, I glanced down at Diana, who still remained sleeping despite everything that had gone on moments. She did not seem to have stirred at all, which seemed good on our part. However, it seemed unfair to tell Amal right now after seeing her so soon and not Diana, who did not know for an entire month. I _did_ want to tell her about Altaïr and everything else that had gone on, but since we were so close to the city, who knew what would happen?

I pursed my lips and sighed. _Nothing I can do now_, I thought, _but wait until we reach Damascus liked we planned_.

"He is someone I know…" I spoke, returning my gaze back to Amal.

She raised an eyebrow in interest.

"As a..._friend_?" She questioned.

I nodded in response.

"Yes," I told her, my eyes shifting a bit.

Amal raised a curious eyebrow.

"Ah, I see." She said. "So he is your lover." My head shot to her, eyes widening and face darkening to a scarlet red. "And here I had heard so many rumors that you wanted to marry that...Abel fellow. You know, the one I heard so many good things about?"

I rolled my eyes.

"For starters, Altaïr and I are _not _lovers. We have only know one another for a month."

She shrugged.

"Just because you meet someone a month ago does not mean you cannot fall in love with that person." She explained.

Shaking my head, I changed the subject and went on to say, "Second, if I wanted to marry Abel, I would not be out here wandering the Kingdom."

She thought about it for a moment before giggling at the comment.

"Good point." She paused for a moment. "So, what is he?"

"Huh?"

"What is Altaïr? A Templar or an Assassin?"

I looked deeply into her eyes for a moment took in a deep breath before letting it out.

"He is an Assassin."

She returned her gaze – blank and unmoving – toward me, speechless. However, it did not take long to get a response out of her. She, soon, raised both eyebrows with a much greater interest than before. Then, a small, almost mischievous smile graced her lips.

"I thought you made that big speech to me when you were nine years old that you would _never_ associate yourself with an Assassin?" My eyes widened slightly, surprised she did not seem shocked by the news. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Amal, that was _years_ ago. Times have...times have changed now, as you can see," I said, placing my hands on my lap.

She laughed.

"I know that, but you promised yourself that you would never, ever, go near any of the Assassins."

I giggled lightly as I invited her to sit down with us near the campfire.

"I know, I know. But it is as I said before. Times have changed." We both sat down, joined by Alexandra and Ada. "How was I supposed to know that I was not going to keep my promise after all these years?"

She laughed.

"You hold a good point, my dear," she said as we all laughed together, almost like one big family, the way a family should have been.

It had been the first time in many, many years that I had actually spoken to Amal and enjoyed a good conversation with her, much like my days as a child. My closest and favorite family member out of everyone that I had ever met in my life was here, alive and well after ten long years of having gone missing. Since I was a child, we always talked about many things, such as the way I should be when I was older, what I wanted to do someday when I took over as Queen, and the kind of people I should associate myself. At the time when I was still a young dreamer, I told her I wanted to help everyone in any way that I could hd as I had heard that many woman were treated rather harshly compared to men. I wanted a man who would make me happy even when I was sad, or calm me down when I was angry or upset. I wanted someone who would respect me, and love me for who I was. My smile grew slightly as I recalled those days in my childhood. I never would have guessed that Altaïr was that man, the man of my childish dreams.

"Tell me, Cynthia," Amal spoke after a brief break of talking. "How did you and Altaïr meet?"

I looked at her.

"Well, it is...a rather strange story." I started. "He actually came to Jerusalem to assassinate me by the order of his Master. Oddly enough, he came to kill me on my previous wedding date. When he tried to kill me while the four of us," I glanced at my friends, "tried to escape the first time, he accidentally hurt Diana by mistake." A quick pause as I glanced at Diana's sleeping form before looking back at her. "I chased him down for a while to seek revenge, but then he took the opportunity to try to kill me instead. But when I told him that I would rather be killed and be finished with this life than to stop him, he just stopped." I looked at the darkened sky. "He said he realized that I was much too innocent to be so willing to accept death. Instead of killing me, though, he stabbed me, took my blood by using a white feather, and fled before Alexandra could arrive."

"Huh. Interesting." She spoke, drumming her long fingers on her knees. "And what about Diana? Does she know about the Assassin?"

We all shook our heads at the same time.

"She still believes Altaïr tried to kill her, and she wants revenge," Alexandra explained. "She despises him and all Assassins. For what reason, I do not know myself. She never really told us. We think she listened to the stories Templars used to tell about them, sticking with those ideas until today." She paused briefly "We did not tell her about Cynthia and Altaïr because we were afraid she would...tell someone."

"I see." Amal muttered. "Were you planning on telling her anytime soon?"

"Yes. We were planning on telling her in Damascus," I spoke up. "We were just camping here for the night to rest up."

Frowning, Amal shook her head.

"I would not recommend staying here for the night," she stated.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, I presume since you escaped your wedding successfully," she explained, "I am sure your fiancé would have sent people to go looking for you. They could be out and about as we speak."

I thought about it for a few seconds before realization struck me, and then sighed; frustrated.

"Good point," I muttered. "Why did I not think of that before...?"

Amal smiled and pat my shoulder.

"It does not matter anymore. For now, you will have to come with me." She spoke while getting to her feet. "I was going to head for Jerusalem. You know, as a bit of a surprise to both you and your father, but since that is out of the picture, I will be heading back to Damascus."

I looked up at her, blinking a few times.

"You live in Damascus?" Ada asked, surprised. Amal nodded.

"That's right. I have been living there since Richard banished me, thanks to the Templars," she explained. "Fortunately, I made a lot of good friends there, so I think we will be alright for the time being." She smiled at me as the rest of us, excluding the sleeping Diana, got to our feet. Amal then, looked over at Ada, who was brushing herself off a bit. "Ada, is it?" She spoke, grabbing the brown eyed woman's attention quickly.

"Yes, that is me." She responded.

Amal smiled and glanced at Diana.

"Be a dear and wake up your sleeping friend. The way to Damascus will take all night, and we certainly do not wish to leave anyone behind."

Ada nodded as she walked over to wake up Diana. Amal, then, turned back to me with a grin on her face, almost as if she were a mischievous young child. I returned the smile immediately.

_Finally_, I thought. _Our plan is almost complete. Once we reach Damascus, I will know for sure that we are all truly free._


	15. Damascus

_**That Morning...**_

_**June 10, 1191**_

The sun slowly began appearing over the mountainous horizon as the five of us rode through the Kingdom, enjoying the night filled sounds of birds and insects singing their own tunes. It took a while for us to get on our way, since Diana did not want to wake up. After a for more minutes, Alexandra decided to kick her in the gut hard enough to jolt her awake, which oddly worked but caused Diana to be in a little but if pain for the rest of the journey to Damascus. She complained about it, but eventually got over it seeing as there was no point when the pain would eventually subside. Other than that, I felt excited that we would finally reach Damascus in a shorter amount time than I had imagined, than I had planned from the very beginning. Luckily, according to Amal, she had been living in Damascus for about ten years, and she clearly knew the Kingdom a lot more than I did. I was glad I ran into her when I did, or else my friends and I probably would have been caught and sent back to Jerusalem over night. When we were so close tasting freedom, that was something that I refused to think about.

Ever since last night, I tried not to think too much about Altaïr as much as I had. I still worried about him and his safety, of course, but I tried to keep my senses clear and think positively; think that he was going to return to me safely. Thankfully, it had been working so far, but the thoughts still lingered within mind, only they were not as prominent as they previously had been. I still wanted to know he would be safe and sound, but it was difficult to not to when the last thing I had seen was him being held captive by the Templars with an injured shoulder, Abel standing over him. Nevertheless, I knew Altaïr was much stronger than that, plus he was to be helped by Malik and the other Assassins that had arrived. He would be able to get out of their grasp and escape to Damascus, to see me once again as he had promised weeks ago. A small smile graced my lips as I closed my eyes. _Just have faith_, Malik's words replayed in my mind, words that I would follow till Altaïr was returned to me.

"There it is, Cynthia," Amal spoke up, breaking my thoughts. I glanced at her, pulling the reins in order to stop my horse, as she continued, "The beautiful city of Damascus!"

My smile grew as I followed her green gaze toward the city I had longed to see. Although I had been here numerous times in the past, it was nothing compared to the way I saw it now. The beautiful and majestic city of Damascus seemed to glow as the morning sun slowly rose over the city, indicating that it was now noon by the time we arrived. Multitudes of different colors, like gold, red, orange, and yellow, shined across the city, giving it a vibrant and ethereal glow to it. Even from the distance, we could see the entire city standing before us, sparkling in the sunlight's rays. It looked so wonderful; so beautiful. _And to think_, I thought to myself, _that I did not notice all of this until now_. I could not help but stare at it all; at everything it had to show me. Any other Templar would have simply entered the city without any actual care about the sight of it, but now, while I felt I no longer belonged to the Templars, I could truly appreciate the beauty that was Damascus fully and completely. However, that was not the only thing I was staring at, reveling at a distance. I was staring into the eyes of freedom in its purest and true form. If there was one thing I considered the most beautiful sight in the whole, it would have to be here; it would have to be freedom.

"We are finally here," I muttered to myself. "We are finally free."

Amal glanced over at me, sending me a kind smile in the process.

"Come now, Cynthia," she said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We must keep moving."

I looked over at her and nodded, pulling down my hood a little more in case any guards decided to pass us. The five of us began our way down to the city gates of Damascus, glancing around from time to time. It did not take us very long to get down there, yet we did not waste anytime. We then, stopped by the nearby stable and left our horses there before we walked over to the entrance. Amal stayed at the front, putting on the hood of her tan colored robe. The rest of us kept our hoods over our faces and kept our heads down low. As we approached the gates, I spotted a few guards standing in the way, keeping watch of everything that tried to pass by. I quickly began to panic, quickening my pace to catch up with Amal. She noticed me, but only acknowledged my presence with a small smile. I did not understand why she was smiling at me, but simply remained silent, as she knew the city better than I did. As the guards began drawing nearer, Amal quickened her pace a little more before pulling off her hood, shaking out her light blond locks before sighing. My eyes widened, but before I had any time to think, she spoke.

"_Mes chers amis!_" She exclaimed happily, putting on a distinct and prominent French accent, as she stopped in front of the guards. "How are you doing on this _belle journée_?"

Without hesitation, the guards waved and acknowledged her in a friendly manner. I looked over my shoulder, glancing at the expressions of my friends. Every one of them wore the same exact expressions; _What the Hell?_

"Ah, Charlotte!" One of the guards spoke. "You are back all too soon, my dear!"

Amal; or as they referred to her Charlotte, shrugged.

"_Oui, oui, je sais_," she responded, "but my family has moved my sister's wedding to a later date." She sighed. "She is still having second thoughts about that _salaud_, but will not admit it to any of us."

"That is such a shame," another guard spoke, "but no matter, right? As long your beautiful face returns to us, you could say you've made a tired man happy!"

Amal laughed whole heartily.

"_Merci!_ That means so much to me," she spoke, getting a laugh from the guards. Then, she turned her head over to me, her green eyes sending me a mischievous glance, before looking back at them. "Now, if you do not mind," She moved her hand to reference us, "_mes amis_ and I are on our way back to my home in the Rich District, for I have not seen them in such a long time and I would like to reminisce old times."

Immediately, every one of them nodded and cleared a path for us.

"But of course, m'lady," the first one spoke. "I hope your friends enjoy their stay here in Damascus."

Nodding, she silently motioned for us to follow her.

"_Merci, mes chéris!_" She thanked them with exuberance. "I'll be sure to stop by sometime this week whenever you are around!"

"We should be here two days from now," another one responded. "Apparently, Richard wants to try and give us some time off in order to keep us focused, but I doubt that."

Amal simply laughed and waved at the men before continuing her trek forward, while the four of us followed silently. When I knew we were out of ear shot, I looked up at Amal, eyes widened slightly.

"When did you learn to speak French?" I questioned, my voice clearly surprised. "You're just as fluent a speaker as Diana, and she was born there!"

Amal chuckled as she looked down at me.

"Let us say that I met someone who taught me the language and the accent over the years," she explained. "Comes in handy when you want to fool the guards."

"Which brings us to the next point," said Alexandra. "If Richard had ordered a death sentence against you, how is it the guards do not recognize you?"

At that, Amal chuckled, "The guards around here are much too stupid to remember me after thirteen years. I don't think Richard even knows I am still alive."

"He'll never know," I said. "The only people who have to know are us." Amal smiled down at me and pet my head.

"Thank you," she said. "Hey, maybe while you are here, I could teach you some French." I laughed.

"_Je sais seulement un peu_," I responded in the respective language. It immediately caused her to laugh before pulling me into a side hug.

"When I am through with you," she stated with a grin, "you will be so fluent in the language, your own father will be jealous!"

Everyone laughed at the comment as I embraced my aunt, giving her a warm hug as if I had not seen her in years. Well, it was, indeed, true. We continued to speak with Amal about her time here as we followed her to a safe house, or in her case, home. She knew no one would be able to look for us there, as it was just a normal home in the Middle District. According to her, nothing unusual happened within the Middle Districts anyway, so it was safe to say no one would go searching for us there. I did not question her about, knowing full she had been there much longer than I have or could ever be. Besides, she had been living in the Middle District for _thirteen years_. There was no doubt about it; the Middle District was the safest area to be for the time being.

We continued to walk through the streets of Damascus, still conversing between one another while several people began staring at us, most likely the four suspicious figures wearing dark hoods. Although it seemed strange and made me start to panic a bit, we ignored their stares and continued our way to the safe house. I kept an eye on my surroundings, eyeing some civilians and a few guards to make sure no one would become too suspicious of us and approach us from out of nowhere. However, no one seemed to mind at all, and simply continued their way to wherever they were heading. That caused me to raise an eyebrow. Is that what I did all of the time? Was I really oblivious to my surroundings as they were?

"Alright, everyone. We have arrived at the house," Amal spoke up as she stopped in front of a moderately sized, two-story building. There was a much wider balcony at the front – much bigger than the one I had back in Jerusalem – and different kinds of shrubs growing along the sides. Despite that, it seemed like a normal looking home; nothing out of the ordinary.

We all stopped and watched her as she knocked on the door, pulling off her hood in the process.

"By that you mean…?" Alexandra questioned.

Amal turned to her with a smile on her face.

"At a..._friend's_ house," she said, adding a little too much emphasis on _friend_. "He is a very kind young man and has looked out for me these past thirteen years," She looked at me now, "and he adores you, Cynthia. He loves the kindness and the compassion you show to your people. He greatly respects you."

I smiled.

"That is very sweet of him," I said just as the door began to open.

There, standing at the doorway, was a man appearing to be in his early forties with messy dark brown hair and big blue eyes. He wore simple clothing; a worn out shirt with pants and sandals. His skin was much darker than my own and even Amal's, indicating he had been out in the sun a lot during. He gave Amal a smile; the sweetest smile I had ever seen.

"Amal," he spoke with a very distinct French accent while his voice filled with something that sounded...oddly familiar to me, "it is so good to see you again, and on such short notice as well."

She returned the smile, something I seemed to recognize as well, before giving him a warm hug.

"Forgive me for coming back so soon, Bernard," she said as she let him go. "I would have come back in at least day or so, but there was a slight change of plans."

Bernard blinked at her words.

"Change of plans?" He questioned. "_Pourquoi ça, mon amour?_" Now, it was my turn to blink. I knew what those words meant, but I could not believe what I was hearing. I felt happy, but at the same time shocked and surprised to hear it. Bernard and Amal..._were lovers_.

"It is a long story, _chéri_," Amal responded, placing a hand on his cheek and staring deeply into his eyes, "one I cannot explain in the open."

He returned her gaze for a moment before nodding and glancing over at us, "Are these your friends?" Amal nodded before turning him around and pushing him inside, not giving him another chance to ask questions. Without a word, we quickly entered the home and shut the door behind us, locking it immediately.

"I will need to explain everything," she told him as I quickly removed off my hood and turned to face him. His back was still towards us before Amal stopped pushing him along. For a moment, I got a good look at my surroundings, taking in as much detail as I could.

The room I stood in was fairly furnished, almost as if everything was new, but at the same time old. A small table sat in the middle of the room, as Amal had to push Bernard around it when we walked inside, with a vase filled with a fresh bouquet of roses. A red velvet couch with a golden cloth material sat on the edges, giving it an elegant, royal look to it. A few other chairs sat around it, but were not as elegant as the couch, but worked well nonetheless. A few paintings hung on the walls, some of nature, and others a few portraits probably of Bernard's family members. Judging by how many paintings there were, I would say he was a fan of the arts, but then again it could have been Amal's doing, as she was also a fan of the arts. Nevertheless, I paid no mind to it as I glanced over at the kitchen that revealed itself to me after I had intently examined the main room. It did not seem like much, at least compared to what I had seen in the past, but it held all of the necessities required to make food for either oneself or multiple people.

After another moment or two, a gasp was suddenly heard. I quickly looked over at Bernard, who was staring in awe at me. Blinking, I tilted my head to one side, confusion filling my face for a brief moment, before realization struck. Amal mentioned something about Bernard adoring me and respecting me.

"Y-y-you are…L-Lady C-Cynthia…" He stuttered, his blue eyes wide with shock and surprise. "I-I-I don't believe it!" I sent him a kind smile as he approached me.

"Yes, it is true," I spoke. When he approached me fully, he lightly took my hands and kissed them.

"It is such an honor to meet you, m'lady," he spoke. "I had heard many tales about you from Amal, but never had I thought that I would get the chance to see you in person." He looked me in the eye. "She was right. You are just as beautiful as she had said, so much like your mother."

My eyes widened.

"You...knew my mother?" I questioned.

He nodded once.

"I met her and Amal years ago while she was still young and fair," he explained. "That was before your father came into the picture. But even then, she was still beautiful." He paused. "You have her eyes, and you are like a spitting image of her."

A smile graced my lips.

"Thank you, Bernard," I responded, "and, please, call me Cynthia. Milady is starting to get old."

He laughed as he released my hands.

"If that is what you wish," he simply stated. He, then, looked over at Amal, who was smiling over at us, "So, what is Cynthia doing so far away from home? You said you were going to visit her as a bit of a wedding day surprise, but returned here with her."

"Cynthia refused to be wed to Lord Abel for reasons that are not exactly very positive, so she decided to run away to Damascus with her friends," Amal explained. Bernard nodded and looked back at me.

"There was always something about that man," he said, "that I did not like about him." I sighed and looked away.

"Trust me, I have many reasons for not liking that man," I spoke. Then, I looked back up at Bernard and smiled. "However, I no longer need to worry about him, for now I am free." He gave me a warm smile and clapped my shoulder in a fatherly manner, something my real father never even considered.

"Well, before that, you will need a place to stay," he suggested. "There are some extra rooms upstairs that you can stay in for the night. There are only two, though, as I share my room with Amal." He glanced over at her and sent her a gentle smile before looking back at us "Tomorrow, you may want to change your attire to something more...casual, for lack of a better term."

"That's terrific!" Ada called out. "We each could share a room!"

Before anyone could agree, Amal raised her hand.

"Actually," she spoke, "I would like to stay with my niece for a few days and reminisce old times," She looked at Bernard, "if that is all right with you."

He nodded.

"Of course," he responded, walking over to her and placing his hands on her shoulder. "Do whatever makes you happy, _mon amour_."

She smiled up at him before moving forward and placing a small, yet sweet kiss on his lips. As I watch her pull away; watched the two look deeply into one another's eyes; I felt something tug at my heartstrings rather violently, causing me to see things that I never thought would even come to me. Images of Altaïr and I entered my mind, seeing us in the shows of Bernard and Amal. We may not have kissed before, and I did not believe we would, but there were days when I found myself staring into his eyes for long periods of time, just reveling in the intense gaze. The time difference was extremely prominent (although I do not know how long Amal and Bernard had been together for), but the love between them, between us, still remained. That was what made me miss him more, made me worry about him, for I feared I would never be able to do the things Amal and Bernard were able to do together.

"I am going check out our room first!" Diana exclaimed happily, breaking my chain of thought, before running up a set of stairs that were nearby.

Ada, growling, quickly followed close behind her.

"No, _I_ will!" She exclaimed. "You have had enough time looking around! _I_ didn't!"

Alexandra sighed at the childlike women before slowly following them. Amal, also, began walking up the stairs, and I quietly followed close behind her. It did not take very long for me to know which room was ours, or at least mine for a while until I felt accustomed being in the room without Amal watching over me. We simply passed two doors, one of which held the sounds of "Wow's" from Ada and Diana, and stopped in front of the third one down the hall. Clearly, Amal knew which way was which better than I did, and I was still thankful for it. She turned the knob of the bedroom door, opened it, and walked inside, motioning me to follow her. I complied without questions, but stopped at the jaw-dropping sight of the room standing before my own eyes.

It was beautifully decorated; fit for a queen, and was nothing like the room I stayed in back at Jerusalem. There was a beautifully designed rug on the floor that went with the room perfectly. It was tan, red, and a hint of brown with a intricately designed border. I noticed only one bed in the room, meaning Amal and I were sharing a bed. The pillows looked soft and matched the rug exactly, as well as the blankets and bed canopies. If I lied down on it now, I would probably fall asleep within a matter of seconds. I chuckled at the thought as I walked over to the queen sized bed, my hands trailing over the fabric. It was soft to the touch and sent a shiver up my spine. Glancing up, I noticed a set of double doors that led to the balcony I saw before entering the home. Smiling, I walked past my bed and toward the balcony, opening the doors without a care in the world. A breeze brushed against my skin, making me take in a deep breath of the crisp Damascus air. There were different kinds of plants that set the mood to relaxing and welcoming and thanks to the slight hill that the building sat atop of; I was able to have a decent view of the city. I laughed a bit, allowing my arms to drop to my sides, before walking out onto the balcony.

"You like what you see?" Asked Amal, barely breaking my trance. I sent a wide grin over to her as I twirled a bit.

"This is amazing," I responded. "Did Bernard do this all by himself, or was it like this before?"

"It was all Bernard's work," she explained as I walked over the railing and leaned against it. "I offered to help him out, but he said that it would not be right to allow his future bride to work. Yet, I urged him to let me help, and eventually he allowed me to." She looked around "I designed this room myself."

I laughed a little.

"You and your constant working," I laughed as she stood next to me, also leaning against the railing.

She raised an eyebrow at me before nudging me lightly.

"Hey, I love working hard! Keeps me in shape and lets me have the results I want!" She said.

I laughed even more.

"But of course it does," I replied, "as if my aunt, who is the size of a thin tree branch, needs to keep in shape."

"You are a liar!" Amal laughed. "There is no way I am the size of a tree branch. Just look at me! I am overweight!"

The two of us had gotten a good laugh out of it, knowing full well that my aunt was neither the size of a tree branch nor simply huge. She was right in the middle, but seemed to enjoy making fun of herself at the cost of seeing me smile. It was just like when I was a child, back when she was still around taking care of me. I spent most of my time with her, and rarely left her side (that is until she left to do some missions requested by my father). If someone thought I was lost, they would immediately search for Amal first before spotting me with her, laughing and spending all of our time together. I remembered the jokes she used to tell me; all the stories about her when she was young as well as about my mother. She told me everything about herself and everything about her sister, and to this day I never forgot them. She was truly the greatest woman to walk the land; one of the most caring people I had ever met. It was like she was the mother I never had, but always dreamed of. In fact, it was if she were not my aunt, but my real mother.

~*~

**Translation(s)**:  
1.) _Mes chers amis!_  
**T**: My dear friends!  
2.) _belle journée_  
**T**: wonderful day  
3.) _Oui, oui, je sais_  
**T**: Yes, yes, I know  
4.) _salaud_  
**T**: bastard  
5.) _Merci!_  
**T**: Thank you!  
6.) _mes amis_  
**T**: my friends  
7.) _Merci, mes chéris!_  
**T**: Thank you, my darlings!  
8.) _Je sais seulement un peu_  
**T**: I only know a little.  
9.) _Pourquoi ça, mon amour?_  
**T**: Why is that, my love?  
10.) i_mon amour_/i  
**T**: my love


	16. Reminiscence and Contemplation

_**Two Days Later...**_

_**June 12, 1191**_

Two long and anxious days went by since Alexandra, Ada, Diana, and I arrived in Damascus with the help of Amal. Since then, we were able to get a new set of clothing, made specially by a good friend of Amal just down the street. The attire was not much, but it was better than nothing. Not wanting to wear dresses any longer as I had done when visiting my father, I decided to wear faded grey pants with a white, short sleeved blouse and a crimson red sash that wrapped around my stomach and a little bit of my hips. A pair of knee-high boots adorned my feet, and I decided to pull my hair back in a ponytail with only my bangs and other strands of hair falling out. From behind, according to Alexandra, I appeared to be a man, to which I did not know if it was good since no one would recognize me; or bad since I was referred to as a man. Despite that, our time here had been rather enjoyable.

I spent a lot of my time talking to Amal about anything and everything I could think of off the top of my head, from the past to our daily life. When I had the chance, I had asked a lot of questions about Bernard, since I desperately wanted to know how she met him. She explained to me about his life, born and raised in France, and his childhood. He too, was born in a life of royalty, but never really acted like a noble. He was very rebellious and always wanted to travel the world, but his parents never allowed him to do so. Then, a few years later, when he was around the age of sixteen, he met Amal and my mother. Falling for my aunt almost immediately, he decided to go with her back to Damascus, wanting to live out his life with her. He treated Amal with as much respect as he could muster, and always wanted her to be happy, to be smiling every day whenever she was with him. He knew about her marital ties with the King, as my mother married a year after he arrived at Damascus, but he did not care.

I quietly leaned against the railing of my balcony, staring out at the beauty of the city. Although I stared out at it, my mind had wandered to other, more important things. My mind still wandered to Altaïr, who had not come to Damascus in two days. I feared he still remained with the Templars, and he was to be tortured, if not killed, if he did not speak about what his plans were. However, I knew he was strong and would not speak of anything, no matter how much they tortured him. From my knowledge, he would never do something like that at the cost of losing me. My eyes lowered to the streets below. Still; worry consumed my body and plagued my heart and mind. As much as I did not wish to think negatively about the situation, I could not help it. He may have been strong enough to hold his own, but for how long? How long would he last until he broke under the pressure? He may have been an Assassin; one who has seen death much longer than I, but everyone, no matter how strong, has a breaking point.

_Altaïr_, I thought as I placed my chin on my hand _Please be safe._

"Cynthia?" I did not look over my shoulder at the new voice, knowing full well who it was by now. "Are you alright, dear?"

I sighed.

"Not really," I muttered, glancing over my shoulder to spot Amal closing the balcony door behind her.

She sighed and walk towards me, standing at my side as we had done two days ago.

"You have been out here for some time." She stated. "What is on your mind?"

I pursed my lips for a moment, trying to find the right words to say.

"Well," I started. "I am...starting to worry about Altaïr." She raised a curious eyebrow as I lifted my head off my hand, allowing it to droop over the side of the railing. "I cannot help it; the last time I saw him was when he was held captive by the Templars. He said nothing would happen and that he would return, but he has not been around in two days, and there have not been any signs of him."

"Do not worry so much about it, Cynthia." Amal smiled warmly, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "He will be perfectly fine. After the things you have said to me about him, I am sure of it. He sounds like the type of person who could survive against the Templars. Any Assassin would be."

I wanted to return the smile; I wanted to assure her that her words did not go unheard, unnoticed, but it would not come to me. It would not grace my lips as it had done in the past when I saw her for the first time in ten years. A strong sense of déjà vu began to consume my body, as I had recalled feeling this way two weeks before the wedding; with Altaïr. I remembered feeling worried about the outcome of the plan, and trying to smile when assured by Altaïr that everything would be fine. _Why_, I wondered, _do I always find something that reminds of him?_ I had not even been in Damascus a week, and already I seemed to find things that reminded me of him. No matter how hard I tried, I could not shake the feeling that everything little detail that surrounded me made me see him, making me even more worried. For example, Amal and Bernard's relationship with one another greatly reminds me of the odd connection between Altaïr and I. Although it was in no way romantic, there was a strong bond between us that made it seem that way. It still felt like we were lovers, when in reality, I believed it was no where near that.

I turned my head to look up at Amal. She had put on a reassuring smile to go with her reassuring words, yet my smile would not arise. Instead, I slowly looked back at the street, watching the civilians walk by, and sighed.

"I know he will be alright," I said, "but I am still worried." Amal sighed before chuckling lightly, making me look back at her with confusion written in my eyes. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing is funny," she said, shaking her head. "I am simply recalling what you told me the other night, when you and Altair first met." She looked out at the city, "You said he was there to kill you, right?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

"And you became the target of his mission when you met him," she stated. I nodded again, only she continued with, "I do not think it is that way now." A brief pause for thought as I raised an eyebrow. "You did became the target of his mission when he was ordered by his Master. However, with time, I believe you became the target of his heart when you met him."

"The target of his heart?" I inquired, earning a nod. "That is ridiculous. You are still on the idea that we are lovers?"

"Of course I am." She smiled. "He cares about you very much from my understanding."

I looked away.

"It's possible, but it does not mean we are in love with one another."

She laughed lightly.

"Whatever the case my be, I am sure your mother would be very proud of you nonetheless."

Blinking, I looked at her.

"You think so?"

Amal nodded.

"Of course," she said. "Before you were born, she would go on and on about how she wanted to have a beautiful daughter." She looked at me "She got that down."

I laughed.

"Go on, I want to know more," I pressed, leaning against the railing once more, only this time I was giving her my full attention. She giggled before continuing.

"She always wanted to have a daughter of her own, and teach her things a father could never do," she explained. "She wanted to teach you...to be your own person, and to not let anyone, not even your father, persuade you otherwise." She looked back out at the city "You have the power; the ability, to do whatever it is you see fit, no matter if it goes against the teachings of the Templars. Another thing" She looked back at me "is that she wanted you to find someone who would see you for who are. She wanted to have compassion toward all who respected you, who loved you, who would do anything to protect you. And the last and most important aspect, " Her smile grew, "is to have faith and bring peace in all things."

I smiled warmly at her words, taking in all the advice my mother had told to Amal, which she then passed unto me. Those words ran through my mind several times, knowing they had come straight from the lips of my beloved mother. I may not have met her formally and knew her as well as her sister, but I knew; since the day I was born, she was truly a kind, strong young woman, who wanted nothing else but bring happiness and have the ability to teach her daughter the things she was taught to be as a child. I felt this teaching was passed on through many different generations, each and everyone; my mother included, had put to good use in some way, shape, or form. I felt honored to know I had lived up this never-ending tradition despite not learning of it until now, so many years later. Still, it made me feel happy, to know I was living up to my mother's expectations, since they were the only things that felt important to me. It was the only thing I had in my life that would forever remind me of her.

I sighed with content before looking out at the city again.

"If only I had gotten to know my mother as well as you did," I spoke out loud.

Amal giggled again.

"Yes, Jamila was quite an interesting, yet beautiful young woman back then."

I blinked at her words before turning my head toward her.

"Jamila was my mother's name?" I questioned.

She looked back at me, raising an eyebrow with confusion written on her face.

"You mean you did not know?" She questioned. I shook my head before she groaned, running a hand over her face. "Damn Richard! How could he not tell you your own mother's name?"

"I guess he never got around to it," I replied sullenly.

She shook her head.

"I could have sworn I told you before, though..."

I shrugged.

"If you did, I must not remember that well." I sighed. "Well, no matter. At least I know now."

Amal put on a smile.

"I suppose so," she said, looking back at me.

I returned the smile before we both looked back out at the city, staring at it for a long moment.

"Do you...think my mother would be happy," I questioned, "if I thought about defecting from the Templars?"

I felt her green eyes fall upon me for a moment, before looking back out at the city.

"It is just as I said before," she spoke. "She wants you to live out your life the way you wish to live it. However," She looked back at me, "if I had my opinion in it, I would say do it."

I looked back at her.

"You...think so?"

She nodded and said, "Of course! You, Alexandra, Ada, and Diana all should defect from the Templars! It would be for the best, especially if you really want to protect your people _and_ get away from Abel and the wedding."

"But if I do that, I will not be able to go back," I stated, looking down toward the streets and watching civilians walk by, going about their daily business. "Leaving everything I once knew, the people I grew up with had always been with the Templars. It feels..._difficult_...to know I may never be able to go back."

"Why would you want to?" I remained silent at her words, not really sure what to say to that, before she continued, "You know exactly what they are like by now, so overpowering and enforcing. They are hurting the people; _your _people, simply because they could be doing something wrong, when in reality they are not. The Templars show no mercy to anyone, not even you." She paused. "They want people like you, people like me, and anyone else who questions the Templar way of life to conform to one way: _their _way." She smiled. "But I know you all too well, Cynthia, and I know for a fact you do not want to do that."

I laughed a bit.

"You are right about that...but...but what about the people? I care about them so much. I want to protect them all, and defecting like this, so suddenly...will make me feel like a traitor to them."

"You are not abandoning them," Amal assured me. "You will still be able to protect them, but with a bit of a different method."

I blinked as I looked up at her.

"What do you mean?" She looked at me with a mischievous look in her eyes. Her next words nearly took my breath away:

"Join the Assassins."

My eyes widened as I gasped at her words, my jaw dropping slightly at her suggestion. _Join the Assassins? _I thought. Was that even an option? There was no possible way I could ever join the Assassins, especially after defecting from the Templars so soon and so suddenly. The people would immediately assume I was trying to abandon them for the enemy and ruin everything, when it was nothing like that. However, when I thought long and hard about it, Amal was right. I would be doing something good for the people, and that was to actually protect them from those that did them harm. I would be able to put an end to the evil that has been inflicted against my people for many years. Still, the fact remained clear: Would they be able to accept the fact that Cynthia Richard, the daughter of Richard the Lionheart, had defected to the Assassins? Would they still respect me despite joining the other side, the side which the people had been warned were evil, corrupting; a menace?

My face lowered slightly, pondering the thoughts intently.

"I...I do not know..."

Amal watched me for a long moment before placing a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it a bit to grab my attention.

"I know it sounds like a big decision, Cynthia," she said as I looked up to her, "but I think it would be perfect for you."

"How do you know that?" I questioned. "How do you know joining the Assassins will be good for me and my friends?" She silently stared into my eyes with her own, sending me a message through her head. Then, she smirked mischievously. After a long moment, my eyes widened slightly, realizing was she was trying to get at. "You...you are one of them...?"

She laughed a hearty laugh and said, "Guilty."

I felt a smile grace my lips, yet it disappeared as soon as it came.

"So...what the Templars said was true?"

She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Yes...and no," she laughed, placing her hands on the railing of the balcony. "Yes, because I was actually undercover for the Assassins at first, but not actually one of them. It was not until Richard banished me after obliviously being brainwashed by those bastard Templars that I decided to become a full-time Assassin."

I blinked once, a smile gracing my lips.

"That is...incredible. So, you must know the Assassins that Altaïr is associated with?"

She shook her head.

"No, not the Levantine Assassins." She glanced at me "I am with the Assassins that occupy Egypt."

"There are Assassins in Egypt?" I questioned, tilting my head to one side with curious expression on my face.

"That was exactly what I said when I was introduced to them by Bernard. According to him, wherever the Templars are, Assassins are always right there with them, watching over them and waiting for the right time to strike. It is kind of like a game of cat and mouse, only the cat waits not just for any kind of mouse, but the right one, before striking."

My eyes widened slightly.

"Wait. Bernard is an Assassin, too?" She nodded "But...I thought he was born a Frenchman?"

"He _is _French," she stated. "He's a French Assassin, but the Assassins that occupy it are associated with the Egyptians through his parents. His mother was French, and his father was Egyptian."

"That is a strange combination."

The blonde woman chuckled at my statement and said, "As strange as it sounds, it happened. I am not sure how it happened, though, but it did." I looked back out at the city and sighed, a small smile gracing my lips. "So, what do you say?"

I looked back at her, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

She looked me straight in the eye, her expression now completely serious, which greatly contrasted her exuberant and carefree attitude.

"Become an Assassin," she simply stated.

I stared at her for a long moment before looking out at the city once more, my mind contemplating the situation that was presented to me. The thought of becoming one, an Assassin, sounded like an interesting idea. However, my mind still lingered on the aftermath of my defection as well as the others. The Templars would be pretty upset. My father would be too, although he was not informed all that much of what the Templars were up to these days last time I had spoken to him, which was about a month or two ago. Still, to know I was abandoning him was hard, even for me. I could not lie to myself forever; I loved him very much. He was my father after all, but he seemed much too demanding of having me be the daughter he pictured me to be. Not only that, but since I was a woman, I would need to have a husband, namely Abel despite my distaste for him, to become the King after my father passed on. Now, though, all the things he wanted for me were to be thrown away if I left to join the Assassins. He may not have known much about them, but he would get the idea that I was leaving him and everything I once knew behind. _But...is it really worth it_, I wondered. Was it really worth joining the Assassins at the expense of my father's unhappiness?

"Cynthia? Cynthia." The sound of Amal's voice grabbed my attention fairly quickly. Blinking, I slowly looked back at her, noticing her assuring gaze. "You do not have to decide now, my dear. I can see you are thinking this through a little too much right now."

I glanced over her shoulder and stared at a spot on the nearby building before looking back at her.

"You seem to read minds all too well."

She laughed.

"You could say that." I smiled as she continued, "But in all honesty, take some time to think about it during the week. Then, when you have a set in stone answer, just let me know, and I will help you."

I nodded before embracing her in a warm hug, "Thank you, Amal. This...means so much to me."

"Anytime, darling," she responded, patting my back a bit.

"Hey, you two up there! On the balcony!" We released one another before looking over the railing, spotting the familiar faces of Alexandra, Ada, and Diana. Each had a different set of clothing on, and I almost did not recognize them. They seemed to have the same idea as I did, since they refused to wear dresses like other people had done. "Come on down! You have been there for at least an hour!" Alexandra called out, placing her black gloved hands around her lips so she could call out to us.

"We were going to travel around Damascus for a while and explore! Come join us!" Ada said, placing her hand above her eyes to block out the sunlight.

I giggled a bit in response.

"Alright. We will be right out."

With that, Amal and I turned toward the balcony doors and re-entered our room. Before we left, I looked back at my aunt and smiled up at her, to which she returned with a friendly grin of her own. I felt so proud to have someone like Amal, so kind, so confident, and so willing to help me in my time of need. Who knew what would have happened if I never saw her two nights ago? In fact, who knew what it would be like without her in my life? To be honest, I could not imagine a world without her.


	17. Night of Decisions and Surprises

_**One Week Later...**_

_**June 19, 1191**_

An entire week had passed since our arrival in Damascus. There were no signs of the Templars searching for us, although I knew for sure they were out there somewhere, hunting as down like lions stalking prey. I was unsure as to whether or not they were in the city or somewhere nearby. However, I did not pay much attention to guards, even though it was extremely important to remain hidden from them until I was able to make my leave to a different country. Instead, I tried my best to worry about other things. Unfortunately, my mind wanted to worry about Altaïr again. From time to time, I found myself looking up at the rooftops and scanning over them, wondering and hoping I would find the billowing white robes of the Assassin looming above and grabbing my attention, filling my soul with the relief I had desired for so long. However, as much as I wished to see that, nothing appeared, nothing but the white clouds looming high above me and the rest of the world. I felt depressed from time to time, yet I tried not to show it when I was around the others, not wanting them to worry as much as they did. Instead, I tried to spend most of my time either with the trio, Amal, or Bernard, in hopes of keeping my mind off the negative thoughts that would try to enter my mind.

Speaking of which, I still thought about Amal's sudden proposal to join the Assassins. It may not have been every single second of the day that I had thought about it, but I found myself wondering from time to time if it was the right choice to make. I wondered if becoming one would be the best for everyone. Bernard, who had heard from Amal about my consideration of joining the Assassins just like them, had spoken to me about the benefits of being one of them, which seemed to help a little, but did not give me a clear decision just yet.

"It gives you even more of the freedom you could ever ask for in life," he explained to me, draping an arm over my shoulders in a fatherly manner. "Sure, there are missions from time to time that are either easy or difficult, but the freedom is still there, unlike with the Templars, who do not even give you time to stop walking around mindlessly."

I smiled at his words, recalling home much patrolling I had to do.

"More freedom would be nice, Bernard, but _too much_ freedom would be asking for much. Just having as much as I do now, with the people I love and care about, is enough for me." A short pause as I pursed my lips for a brief moment. "Then again, when has too much freedom ever stopped me before?"

He laughed at my comment.

"That is the kind of attitude you should have all of the time!" I joined in with the laughter while Amal simply watched us from afar, smiling at us. "Besides, you will be able to see that Altaïr of yours as much as you would want!"

My forest green eyes looked up to him, a look of surprise filling them.

"You think he and I are romantically involved too?"

"Absolutely!" He responded with laughter. "From what I hear from Amal, it sounds like the man is falling for you! If you joined them, you will not be judged for being with him in the end!"

The thought of joining the Assassins was still in need of a decision, but the idea of Altaïr and I becoming romantically involved was out of the question. At least, I thought it was.

My forest green eyes silently stared up at the nighttime sky, watching the moon shine down against my skin. I sat down against a pillar that sat atop Bernard's home, enjoying the night and the light breeze that brushed against me. My mind recalled that conversation several times, and it always seemed to bring a bit of a frown on my face. Even Bernard thought that Altaïr was falling for me. I knew it was not true, and even if it were I was not going join only for him, but to protect the people I had longed to keep safe for many years. They needed help from the overpowering Templar rule, and I knew joining the enemy, whom the Templars had told me were evil, would benefit them. Altaïr had mentioned once how he had helped civilians from time to time during his missions in other cities, like Jerusalem and Acre, and in the end earning their help along the way. No doubt they would do the same for me, although many of them would be surprised to know I was on a different side of things. However, would they be willing to accept me as an Assassin?

Forest green eyes lowered to the floor of the roof as I hugged my knees against my chest. _Yes_, I thought. Something inside of me told me they would accept me for changing to the other side, as I would do as I had always said I would do, and that was to keep them safe from the Templars. I knew they would understand that it was something I wanted to do because I felt it was right. If I did not, then what good would it do? If I went back to the Templar way of life, how would I be able to protect the people without being judged or told otherwise? I knew just how cruel the Templars were, and I felt helpless to know there was not much I could do other than push them away from the civilians, as if I were weak. Now, if I joined the Assassins, I would have the ability to fight back and truly protect them. A small smile graced my lips at the thoughts that filled my mind. _I suppose_, I thought, _joining the Assassins is not such a bad idea after all_.

"Cynthia?" My head turned over to find Amal climbing onto the roof with ease, brushing off her clothes for a moment before approaching me. "What are you doing up here? It is the middle of the night."

I leaned against a pillar with my shoulder, looking forward again.

"I should be asking you that question, since you decided it was safe for me to be by myself just a few days ago."

A small smile graced her lips.

"You are old enough to take care of yourself, I know that much. But when I came into your room to check on you, you had disappeared."

I blinked.

"Then how did you know I was up here?" I questioned, tilting my head to one side as I glanced back at her.

Amal laughed a bit as she stopped next to me and leaning against the pillar.

"I always come up here whenever I have a lot on my mind," she explained to me. "Coming up here helps me clear my mind and make tough decisions. I do not know what it is that causes it, but it helps a lot."

"I am not surprised," I sighed, looking up at the sky. "It has actually helped me, too."

She looked down at me.

"What do you mean?"

I smiled up at her.

"I have made my decision..."

At those words, Amal gave me her full attention, crossing her arms across her chest and turned her body toward me. It was clear she knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Oh really?" I nodded.

"Yes." I paused as I closed my eyes. "I have decided...to join the Assassins."

Her face seemed to brighten under light of the pale moon, and her smile grew bigger and bigger at the news. Then, she slid down the wall, sat down next to me, before pulling me into a warm embrace. I did not hesitate to return it. She then pulled away quickly, grinning like a madman, before it disappeared and became serious.

"This may be the biggest decision of your life," she said, keeping her hands on my shoulders, "and you are absolutely sure you want to do this?"

I nodded.

"Absolutely. I want the people to know that I am actually doing something to keep them safe, even if it means defecting from the Templars."

She patted my shoulders before returning to her feet.

"I am sure Altaïr would be very proud to hear that. To know you have actually decided to join his side."

The smile on my face immediately fell, realization striking my features. Altaïr. I had completely forgotten about him in the situation! Knowing him, he would want what was best for me and would want to keep me safe from harm. The Assassins were nowhere _near_ safety, especially while on missions. However, as much as he would want to prevent me from encountering all of that, I hoped he would respect my decision to join him and his brothers. He already understood the compassion I held for my people, and knew I would do anything just to prove it. If it meant becoming an Assassin in the end, then I believed he would come to understand and respect that. Still, the fact remained: He did not want me to do anything that would bring me harm. The Assassins faced the dangers of death almost every day, especially when competing against the Templars. Altaïr, I knew for a fact, would _never _want me to do such a thing, knowing it could cost my life. _But it is for a good cause_, I thought to myself, _and when I think about it, I am not afraid to die, especially if it is for something right in the end_. I pursed my lips for a brief moment before sighing. Telling Altaïr the news of my decision to join the Assassins was another one of my worries. The other being if he arrived in Damascus _alive _so that I may be able to tell him.

"Cynthia, are you alright?" I jumped a bit before looking up at Amal, whose expression had turned worried.

Sending her a quick reassuring smile, I looked back up at the sky once again.

"Do you think Altaïr would be okay with this?" I questioned, closing my eyes for a moment.

"Why would he not?" Amal questioned. "You are joining his cause to stop the Templars. Why would he not be okay with it?"

I shrugged before looking back up at her.

"I do not know. It is just that...he wants to protect me as much as he can and does not want me to get hurt. Well…being an Assassin is a dangerous job, and I do not know if he would accept that."

Amal nodded before looking out at the calm city of Damascus.

"I see your point," she said as she looked back at me, "but still, he knows you are a strong young woman who can fend for herself. It is not as if he would demean you for wanting to be like him. Besides," She smiled, "it is for your people. How could he say no to your desire to protect your people?"

A smile began to grace my lips.

"You are right." My smile faded as I looked out at the city. "But...I will not be able to tell him if he is not here."

Amal chuckled, earning my gaze once again.

"Leave that to me and Bernard," she said, walking toward the edge of the rooftop.

Blinking, I also got to my feet and followed her.

"What do you mean?" I questioned as she stopped.

"I explained to Bernard how worried you became sometimes about Altaïr. You would mutter his name while you were asleep," she explained. "He came up with the idea for both of us to keep an eye on the front gates of Damascus, waiting for him to arrive. If and when he does, we will bring him back here."

She turned around to send me a smile "and back into your arms."

I blinked several times, relaying the message in my mind before it became clear.

"I...I muttered his name...in my sleep?"

Amal nodded.

"In fact, when I had a good look, you would even be crying a little as you said his name." Her gaze fell slightly. "I did not want that anymore. Not for my little niece." I remained silent as she looked back at me. "Whether you realize it or not, you are falling for him as well. I can see it when you cry yourself to sleep thinking about him, praying that he would be safe." She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Do not worry. I can assure you he will come. I know he will."

I felt a smile tug at the ends of my lips.

"Thank you, Amal," I spoke.

She smiled in return before turning away from me. 

"Now I must go. Bernard is waiting for me at the gates. I do not want to keep him waiting for too long."

"How long will you be gone?" I questioned.

"We usually arrive back three hours before dawn," she explained, "so we can rest up for the morning and not arouse too much suspicion to the other girls. We would not want them worrying about us, now would we?"

I shook my head in response.

"I truly do not know how many times I should say thank you for doing this," I said in a bit of a low tone, my smile ever present. "You may still think that something will happen between him and I, but it means a lot that you are going this far."

I noticed Amal raise a finger before tapping my nose lightly.

"Just one thank you is enough for me, my dear," was all she said before turning and leaping on the next building across from ours, leaving me behind with nothing but a smile on my face and hope in my heart.

_**General POV**_

"Did you find anything?" Amal whispered as she approached and knelt down next to Bernard, who was eyeing the gates of Damascus with a keen eye.

After a moment, he glanced at his beloved for a brief moment before looking back.

"Not yet," he whispered back, his voice serious and his eyes focused. "The guards should be switching out for the new one to come in, though. That was what one of them said."

Amal nodded before a smile graced her lips.

"I spoke to Cynthia before I arrived here."

Bernard glanced at her once again, giving her his full attention as nothing was happening between the guards at the moment.

"She was awake?" Amal nodded before he continued, "She could not sleep, I assume?"

"The decision of joining the Assassins was on her mind," she spoke. "That was what I assumed."

"Was she able to choose?" He questioned, glancing back at the guards for a moment before looking back at her.

The smile on Amal's face grew even more.

"She said yes."

Bernard's face lit up just as hers did before, his smile growing a bit.

"That is fantastic!"

Amal nodded before glancing down at the guards.

"She said she was absolutely sure she wanted it, but was worried of what Altaïr would think."

He shrugged.

"I do not think he would mind all that much, but I do not know him all that well," he responded in an honest tone.

"I agree," she went on, "but I explained to her that she should not worry about it. We need all the help we can get against the Templars, and worrying about the thoughts of someone else should be the least of her troubles."

"Besides, I know – _we _know – they are falling for each other from what I can tell," said Bernard. "If I were in his shoes, I would be very happy to know _l'amour de ma vie _was joining the right side of this war."

Amal laughed as she nudged him a bit.

"Bernard, you _did _do that. And you were more than happy. You were ecstatic."

He chuckled before taking hold of her hand.

"That I was, _chéri_," he responded. "That I was."

Amal could not remember the last time she had ever been sad or upset with anything in the world since she met the Frenchman before her green eyes, holding her hand firmly yet gently in his rugged ones. _He was perfect in every way_, as her childlike mind had put it on many occasions. He had his moments, though, but they were very minor to her, as it was only when the guards flirted with her, assuming she was the French woman named Charlotte. She knew from the very bottom of her heart that she loved him more than anything in the whole world. If she had the opportunity to give everything in the world up just to be with him, she would do it in a heartbeat...with the exception of her niece Cynthia, though. The young, twenty-three year old woman was the only other thing that truly made her happy. In comparison to Bernard, she would choose Cynthia over him, as she had taken care of her for ten years of her life in replacement for Jamila, her late sister. Nevertheless, the love she held for Bernard was unmatched by another.

Amal blinked a few times as she looked down at the guards, strands of her blond hair falling past her shoulders. _I wonder if__ this how Cynthia will feel with Altaïr_, she wondered. It was a strong possibility, and she would not be surprised if that happened. The way Cynthia spoke of him, so fondly and filled with gratitude over the fact that he was risking so much, made Amal think of the love between Bernard and she. In a way, Cynthia reminded the elder woman of herself almost exactly. When she first heard of Altaïr, Amal took notice to the tone of voice and the expressions that came from her niece; her eyes fell slightly and her eyes changed, as if she were entranced by some powerful being. She spoke as if she had looked upon a hero, the person who would save her from the life that had over whelmed her in the past. When she spoke of her feelings of how eternally grateful she would be, they were always filled with gratitude and happiness, a happiness Amal knew all too well from her own experiences.

She felt a sense of déjà vu whenever Cynthia spoke of the Assassin. They may have been different in some aspects – Cynthia continuously denied her feelings that were clearly present – but in a way they were the same. Amal recalled the days when she spoke to Jamila about Bernard, how she called him sweet and gentle and kind. Oddly enough, that was exactly what Cynthia said, only it excluded the sweet part, saying something along the lines of "He may not have been the sweetest, but he was gentle. Kind and gentle." It was almost as if she could see younger Amal sitting before her, reminiscing of her time with her beloved. The only difference was the fact that Cynthia was being a little stubborn.

Her smile grew. _I guess we are not so different after all, huh Cynthia?_

"Amal, look!"

The green eyed blond blinked a few times before looking over at Bernard, whose gaze was locked on the guards below. Following his gaze, she noticed the guards slowly moving away from the gates, leaving it unattended for the time being. Another group of guards were on their way into their spots, but before they were able to do so, something caught her eye. Whatever it was moved rather quickly and into the shadows of the nearby building, hiding from the views of the guards that arrived to take the place of the former ones. Amal's eyes remained on the shadows for a long moment, waiting for whatever it was that was to come out into the open and reveal himself to the two Assassins sitting on the rooftop.

"You saw that, too?"

Amal did not look at Bernard, but acknowledged his words with a nod.

"Whoever, or whatever, that was," she spoke, "moved fast. Fast enough to pass those guards."

Bernard's gaze fell upon her.

"Do you think...?" He started, but trailed off a bit as Amal nodded once more.

"Yes, I do. I could not be anyone else," she said. Then, the figure in the shadows began moving, slowly and cautiously, but moving nonetheless. "It's moving into the light," Amal whispered before slowly moving across the rooftop and closer to where the figure was. Bernard silently followed her without question until she stopped moving, kneeling down near the edge of the roof. All else went dead silent as Amal and Bernard watched the figure slowly step into the light, finally revealing himself to the both of them. Green eyes widened as Amal recognized just who it was. The dark figure was an Assassin, the very Assassin the two had been looking for:

Altaïr Ibn-la'Ahad.

"That is him," she muttered, getting to her feet immediately.

Bernard watched her for a moment.

"What are you doing?" She glanced down at him, smiling.

"Grabbing his attention," she spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "I promised Cynthia we would take him straight to her when we saw him. I am not going against that promise."

Bernard, without another word from his lips, nodded once. She, then, looked back down at Altaïr, who had glanced over his shoulder toward the other guards to see if they had noticed him pass by. When the coast was clear and the new guards had replaced the old ones, he slowly began walking in the opposite direction, leaving them to go search the city, as the female Assassin assumed. Before he could so, though, Amal grabbed his attention using an inconspicuous bird call. It did not affect the guards, but it certainly effected Altaïr. The Assassin immediately stopped in his tracks, frozen like a statue for a long moment, before turning his head and looking over his shoulder. Knowing she gotten his attention but not fully, Amal tried again, using her bird call once more. That did the trick, as the Assassin looked up and spotted her on the rooftop. Even from the distance, she could sense the glare coming from him. She could not blame his distrust for her. They had never met formally before, but after tonight, he would learn to do so.

Without a word, she motioned for him to climb up onto the roof, wanting him to know she meant no harm to him. Glancing in the direction of the guards for a moment before looking back at her, Altaïr slowly turned back around and began approaching the nearby building. Amal motioned for Bernard to follow her as she leapt onto the building which Altaïr was climbing. They both landed safely onto the next roof before Amal took a few steps toward the edge, keeping a reasonable distance just to be safe.

"Are you sure he will be willing to trust us?"

The blond woman looked over at her lover quietly, sending him a reassuring smile.

"When he finds out about Cynthia," she whispered, "he will." With that said, she looked back to find the Assassin climbing onto the roof with ease. Standing up straight, his gaze immediately met Amal's, but he kept a cautious stance just in case. Taking in a deep breath, the woman spoke, "You must be Altaïr, am I wrong?"

She noticed his eyes narrow slightly at the sound of his name from a stranger.

"Who are you?" His voice was very demanding, but low enough so as to not attract the guards' attention.

"You do not know us, Assassin, but we know you," Amal spoke, her voice low yet unafraid of the Assassin standing before her. Suddenly, the sound of a hidden blade unsheathing itself was heard, before another. Her eyes trailed down to find Altaïr's hidden blade glistening in the moonlight. It was clear he did not like what he was hearing, and judging from the second sound, Bernard had, also, unsheathed his hidden blade.

"I demand you tell me who you are, or else I will kill you both and be on my way," he growled, his voice filled with venom with every word.

With nothing but a blank expression, she motioned toward Bernard with her hand, telling him to remain calm and let him know she had the situation under control, before returning her attention to Altaïr.

"You are searching for someone, are you not?" She questioned, remaining calm in front of him.

"That is none of your concern."

A smile graced her lips, but made sure it did not appear menacing or evil should he take it the wrong way.

"It is if I know that person."

His narrowed eyes remained locked onto her green orbs from under his hood.

"Then state the person's name," he demanded.

Without hesitation, her smile grew even more, giving her a warm and friendly appearance toward him.

"Cynthia Richard."

At that point, his hardened glare disappeared and he froze in his spot. _Got him_, she thought as his hidden blade disappeared from view. She noticed him visibly relax, but still remained cautious around her.

"How do you know Cynthia?" He questioned, his voice matching his posture.

Amal closed her eyes, letting out the breath she did not know she was holding in, before looking back at him.

"We happen to be very good friends of hers," she said, "and I know where she is."

His eyes narrowed slightly, but not as much as before.

"Then take me to her." He looked away. "She has waited long enough, and I fear I have made her worry too much of my safety."

Amal chuckled, earning Altaïr's gaze once again.

"Believe me when I say this, my friend," she said as she turned around toward Bernard, who was now standing straight and calm. "She has worried a lot about you, even thought she tried her best not to show. But in the end, I think it will make seeing you more special than if you had returned sooner."

* * *

**Translation(s)**:  
1.) _l'amour de ma vie_  
**T**: the love of my life  
2.) _chéri_  
**T**: darling


	18. Moonlit Kiss

_**Cynthia's POV**_

My lips pursed as I continued to stare up at the night sky, attempting to count the millions of stars that I could spot glittering the skies. I still sat in the same spot that I had been sitting in for who knows how long before Amal came up and spoke to me. She and Bernard had been gone for at least an hour or so, and I figured I should spend another hour or two before heading inside for bed, knowing it was way past the hour to be asleep. As much as I wanted to fall asleep, though, my mind would not allow me to do so. It wanted to stay awake, thinking about the words Amal had spoken to me. _Whether you realize it or not, you are falling for him. _Her words ran through my mind several times, yet I found it difficult to believe. I could not be in love with Altaïr, not when it was so short a time to actually fall for him. She must have wanted me to think that in order to look forward to something in the future. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to deny the idea again, the thought would not come. I did not want to believe that I was, indeed, falling for him, but something seemed to prevent me. What it was I would not know for sure.

After staring up at the sky for another long moment, a sigh escaped my lips before I returned my gaze to the ground. When I thought about it for a long moment, it did not surprise me that Amal and Bernard would think that way. I remembered days when I found myself looking into his eyes for longer than I should have, yet he did not protest for even a moment. Besides, I still continued to worry about him throughout the week, even if it was not on a daily basis, but that did not mean I was falling for him. It only meant that I was worried about the man who helped me make it this far in my plan of escape. I at least wanted him to be there when I took my leave from this place I called home. That was all I wanted, that I was what I told myself. But was that really what I wanted? Was I really going to leave him behind and head for Spain, knowing that the person who was willing to help me was going to be here wondering if I was ever going to come back?

The thought made my heart sink.

Trying not to think of the coming future, I tried to think of something else. Unfortunately, my mind went back to wondering if he was alright again, which would have made me groan had it not be for the previous thoughts of whether or not I was in love with him. I knew he was strong and I knew he was going to be helped by his comrades, but the thoughts still plagued my mind. What if he was not as strong as I had made him out to be? Everyone had their breaking point, even powerful Assassins like Altaïr. Was Abel capable of reaching that point in a week's time? Was he able to break the Assassin into talking and speaking of my – _our _I should say - whereabouts? I shuttered at the thought, rubbing my arms a bit as if I had gone cold all of a sudden. _No_, I thought. Abel may have been manipulative, but he was not smart enough or strong enough to get what he wanted out of the Assassin. I knew Altaïr was much stronger than Abel, both physically and mentally. It would take that brute months, years even, to even crack the Assassin's mind a little bit. Despite that, Abel would be determined enough to try everything against him. He would not sleep until the Assassin spoke, knowing that he would not be able to fulfill his goal without me as his bride.

Forest green eyes lowered to the ground, staring at my boots, as small strands of light brown hair fell out of its hold. I guess that was what made me worry the most about Altaïr's safety; Abel's determination to break him.

"Altaïr." I muttered to myself, shutting my eyes in the process. "Please do not allow that bastard to break you, no matter how hard he tries."

"I did not nor would I ever allow him to do so."

My breath hitched as my eyes shot open once again. Slowly looking forward, I stared at the building across from me, realizing no one was in front of me. After a few seconds, I slowly got to my feet before turning my head in the direction of the familiar voice. Once I spotted the person who had spoken, my jaw almost dropped as my eyes widened even further. There, before my very eyes, was Altaïr, the man I had been worrying about for longer than I should have. My entire body felt like it froze like ice, unable to move, unable to comprehend anything at all as to what was going on. I noticed the barely noticeable smile on his face as he watched me, looked at me as if he had been wanting to see me as well, make sure that I was okay. Unconsciously, I felt tears began welling up in my eyes as I stared at him, my heart beating rapidly against my chest as if it was about to burst. My mind showed him – Altaïr – but was it real? Was he really standing there, looking at me, or was I hallucinating?

"A-Altaïr…?" I spoke, my voice shaky as I held back tears of joy. "Is that…really you?"

"If it was someone else," he responded, "then I would not have come here looking for you..."

At that point, I could not hold in the excitement that suddenly consumed my being, as if seeing him again would complete me. Tears soon began to run down my face as I ran over to him, unconsciously throwing my arms around his torso, before crying uncontrollably. I did not know what it was that overcame me as I saw him, knowing he was safe, but I that point, I no longer cared.

"I was so worried, Altaïr...!" I cried as he slowly wrapped his arms around me, holding me close and allowing me to sob on his chest. "I-I thought Abel had captured you and would never release you. I thought he was going to torture you until you spoke, but I had faith! I had faith just as Malik said I should!" My grip on his robes tightened. "I-I refused to believe that something bad happened to you, and the others told me not to think that way, but...I could not help but think negatively as time went on! I tried not to worry so much, but I knew Abel would be determined to find out where we were, and I could not help it." I paused as I took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself, burying my face into his chest even more. "I thought I would never see you again. I did not want anything to happen to you, not when we were so close. Please...forgive me for thinking such negative thoughts while you were away."

I continued to weep on his chest as he held me tightly, as if he understood how worried I was. A comforting warmth had appeared within me as I held onto him. I felt so relieved and calmed, so much safer, as I stood in his arms. It was like I knew he would never allow anything to happen to me, as if he would make absolute sure that no harm would come in my direction. For once in what felt like many years, I truly felt complete; with him standing with me, I felt whole. It was strange for me to say, but it was hard to deny it. No longer did it feel the pain with every beat of my heart, knowing that something could have happened to jeopardize everything. It no longer felt out of rhythm, since the music that had gone with it returned. For once, it seemed as if pure happiness filled my body, knowing he was alive and well and not deceased.

"There is no reason to be upset any longer, Cynthia," he spoke, his voice reassuring and soothing to my heart and soul. "What matters now is that I am here, and you will not be left behind again."

Slowly, when I realized just what happened, I found myself pulling back from him and wiping the tears away from my face, feeling a bit of heat appear on my cheeks with embarrassment.

"Forgive me." I muttered, continuing to wipe my face before moving my hand back onto his chest again. "I…I did not mean to do that. It is just...I am happy to see that are safe."

I sensed his smile grow slightly, wiping the few tears that decided to fall from my cheeks. It made me tense at first, but soon relax.

"There is no need to apologize. I understand."

I smiled lightly at his touch, feeling more relieved than before to know he was real and not some illusion. Suddenly, my smile fell.

"Abel..." I muttered, my hands tightening around the robes of his lightly dampened – it was barely noticeable at a distance - robes. "What did he do to you...?"

He sensed the anger in my voice and slowly placed a hand against my own in order to keep me calm. It did the trick; my tightened grip loosened

"Do not worry about him," he soothed. I looked up into his shielded dark eyes as he continued, "He may have been able to capture me, but I said nothing to give you away."

A small smile graced my lips as I loosened my grip.

"I knew it. I knew he would not be able to break you." A pause as I blinked, "And Malik... He was able to rescue you, right?"

A small nod was my response.

"Fortunately, although later in the week." I watched him look away for a moment before looking back at me. "It was after Abel had left for the night that Malik and the other Assassins arrived. After they helped me escape, Abel sent out a warning to find and bring me back alive." He paused briefly before going on, "I had to wait until the uproar settled down a bit before I could leave the city and come here."

My eyes trailed down to his robes, tugging on them a bit in the process unconsciously. It was then that I realized I was still held in his arms

"Did he..." I started, "Did he...hurt you...?"

He looked past my shoulder for a moment.

"Not as much as I had anticipated," he responded, looking back into my eyes as I looked back up to him. "Although he was furious over your escape from the city, he had difficulties trying to find the best way to get information out of me."

For the first time since he arrived, I laughed.

"He must have been more distracted by my whereabouts than to worry so much about you," I said.

He laughed as well, a laugh that I had, unconsciously, longed to hear.

"He may have considered himself smart," he said, "but he was much too stupid to figure out that I had something to do with your escape."

I shook my head.

"Well, no matter," I said, my smile growing a bit. "As long as you are safe, we do not have to worry about him." He stared at me intently, holding onto my hand as if he never wanted to let go as I went on, "You know, everyone had told me you would be safe, especially Amal. I believed them, but," My smile fell again, "something in my mind...just did not see it that way."

I noticed his confused expression for a brief moment before it changed to realization,

"You are talking about the woman who caught my attention when I came here."

I nodded.

"Yes. She us my aunt, and had been waiting for you all week just so she could return you here, to make sure you knew where I was."

His smile returned.

"She must really care about you if she is willing to go as far as to wait for me as long as she did."

"She has not seen me in ten years," I explained as I pulled away from him. "I guess she wanted to make up for lost time." I began leading him to the spot where I once sat down near the pillar, holding onto Altaïr's hand gently with realizing it. "In a way, she was like the mother I had always wanted in my life, the one I never had in my life."

"The way she spoke of you made it sound just like that," he replied as I stopped in front of the pillar, looking up at the stars. "She really cares about you and wishes for you to happy." He sounded like it wanted to go on, but stopped himself. I did not say anything as I stopped walking and simply stood there, a smile on my face.

"She says that because she is on your side," I explained, turning my head to look at him. He chuckled lightly.

"I was right then," he spoke, "when I told myself they were Assassins like me."

My smile fell from my lips as my eyes gazed toward the ground, suddenly remembering what I had to do. I had to tell him; I had to tell him that I, too, wished to be an Assassin like him, Amal and Bernard, and fight against the people who had lied to me all this time. However, I still feared his reaction of this insane and unspeakable decision. I assumed it was not going to be anything serious, but the thought of rejection still plagued the back of my mind. I feared he would not want me to become one, but only because he wanted to protect me, to keep me safe from the wrath of the Templars. Then again, he knew what I was like; always wanting to protect those I truly cared about and who deserved it, needed it, and doing anything I possibly could in order to do so. He knew there would be no way to change my mind once I had it set to something I knew was important to me, important to everyone. There was a possibility he would accept my decision, as we would protecting my people together as comrades. If that was the case, why was I so worked up over rejection?

Looking back up at him, I noticed Altaïr's expression was a bit concerned despite being hidden away in the darkness of his hood. To assure him that I was alright, I sent him a warm smile.

"What are you thinking, Cynthia?" He questioned, staring intently into my forest green orbs.

I blinked once, trying to collect my thoughts. Sighing, I released his hand walked over to the pillar and placed my back against it. No turning back now, I suppose.

"I want to become an Assassin," I replied, confidence filling my voice. He stood there quietly, staring at me for a long moment, while I continued, "I know you think it is a bad idea and you want to protect me, but...this is something I want to do. I want to protect my people as much as you do, as much as the other Assassins do. I always used to tell the people I was going to keep them safe from the Templars, but when I think about it, I barely did much at all. I was lied to by the Templars and treated like a child by my own father." My head lowered slightly, "Now, knowing that I could truly protect my people like you have for years, I feel I could do the same thing and not feel weak. I may not be as good as you are today, but I will. So I ask you..." A brief pause. "Will you let me become an Assassin?"

He continued to stare at me for a long moment, while I leaned against the pillar quietly, staring at him with confidence. He did not seem upset by my request to join the Assassins, but was deep in thought. His mind was contemplating on whether or not it was a good idea to actually allow me to join the Assassins. I remained silent, allowing him to think it over for as long as he wished until he came up with an answer. However, it did not seem to take him very long to answer my request.

"I cannot..."

My eyes widened slightly at his words. Fear consumed me as I replayed his words in my mind.

"But why not?" I questioned, pushing myself off the wall. "I am not weak, and I certainly would not get in the way of anyone or anything! I am worthy enough and strong enough to hold my own!"

"I am not saying I do not think you are not worthy enough to become one," he spoke as he began approaching me. "If I had any say in the matter," He smiled, "I would immediately say yes without hesitation, knowing we would have one more person to aid us in this war."

I blinked a few times at his words.

"Then, why won't you?"

He stopped in front of me, standing rather close.

"It is because my Master forbids women from becoming Assassins altogether. He feels they will be nothing but a distraction to us, and make us weaker." My eyes narrowed slightly, feeling offended by the way his Master saw women. "However," he continued, placing his hands on either side of me, trapping me between himself and the wall behind me, "it does not mean women are not allowed to live within the vicinity of the Assassins."

I tilted my head to one side, confused by his words, yet my eyes remained locked on his dark orbs.

"What do you mean?"

He smiled down at me before speaking.

"I will take you to Masyaf, train you as an Assassin myself. You may not be able to join now, but with time, I hope to change my Master's mind.

A smile played against my lips.

"Thank you, Altaïr," I said in a soft tone as he moved closer to me, pressing me against the wall and closing the gap between us, before placing a hand against the wall next to my head.

Our eyes locked onto one another for what seemed like forever. Neither of us dared to look away from each other, afraid of ruining the peaceful, etherial moment that had been built between us once again. However, I started to realize something; I never had gotten a full glimpse of his face as he had of mine. Yes, I was able to see his eyes and his face from time to time, but it was always hidden by shadow, something that seemed to bother me. Unconsciously, my hands slowly made their way to his hood, taking it lightly but not removing it completely. At that point, I stopped myself and froze, not wanting to be rude and just toss his hood off without his permission. My eyes narrowed very lightly , almost unnoticeably, just as my smile fell. It appeared as if I were asking him if it was okay to remove his hood for him. Without a word, he nodded only once, allowing me to do as I pleased. Smile returning, I slowly pushed off his hood, finally revealing his features to my eyes.

Short, dark brown hair sat atop his head and, as I had predicted multiple times before when I thought too hard and long about what he looked like. Dark colored eyes, as I had also predicted, stared intently into mine. They were filled with so much calmness I could say it very well matched my own assumptions. He had a bit of stubble on his chin, but it was barely noticeable, especially at a distance. Nevertheless, I found myself staring at what made me both breathless and speechless. As I tried to find the right words to say, my mind began to race. Realization began to flood my mind on one simply thing. Everything about him, his personality, his mysterious ways, drew me to him and made me ever the more curious to know him even more than I ever thought possible.

I unconsciously placed my hand against his cheek, my smile growing even more. Finding my voice, only one word was able to escape my lips, one that I did not realize I would say, but did not regret speaking:

"Beautiful."

He raised an eyebrow with slight interest before smirking lightly at my choice of words, while I blushed with embarrassment at my choice of word. However, I said nothing in response as his expression turned serious once more. Then, I noticed his face slowly began moving toward mine, and his eyes slowly began to close. Heart pounding rapidly against my chest, I knew what was about to happen, but did not know if going along with it was a good idea. However, instead of listening to me, my mind forced me to begin moving toward him as well, eyes shutting almost immediately in the process. I did not mean to do it, but it seemed like a natural move to pull one that I was completely comfortable with. Before I knew it, I soon felt his lips against mine, bringing me into a blissful, passionate kiss that made my heart drop into my stomach. I felt my knees growing weaker at the sudden contact, yet I tried to keep my composure calm and collected. As if he sensed my weakening knees, he quickly placed both of his hands on my hips before pressing me into the wall even further, keeping my upright and standing. My arms, unconsciously, wrapped around his neck to deepen the kiss even more, enjoying it even more than I thought. It was at that moment that I realized something very important: I knew now, without a doubt in my mind, that Amal was right. I was truly falling for him. I had fallen for Altaïr Ibn-la'Ahad.

For an entire month, I realized that I was continuously pushed the feelings that were growing inside of me into the back of my mind. I believed he was just someone who pitied me. However, as time continued and we became closer to one another, my feelings for him continued to grow, and it became harder and harder to push them away. However, I was able to do it without much trouble. When I saw Altaïr held captive by the Templars, the urge to rescue him coursed through my veins, but I was unable to do so without getting caught, without losing him for good. During the week when I worried about him and waited for his return, Amal continuously tried to tell me to stop, knowing that I was trying to keep myself from falling for him. I did not want to listen to her, for I did not know if doing so was the right thing to do. However, when I felt myself kissing him with all the emotions, the passion that I could muster in that instant, I just stopped trying to push the feelings away. The love I did not realize I felt for him was real; not an ounce of it was even close to a lie.

After what felt like years had gone by, I felt him break the kiss painstakingly slowly; as if he were savoring the moment for a little longer or just teasing me. Opening my eyes, I stared into the eyes of the Assassin that I had fallen for. He returned the intense, yet passionate gaze, making me smile ever so slightly. Then, the next words I spoke surprised both he, and myself;

"I...I love you, Altaïr…"

Oddly, I did not regret saying it to his face as confidently as I did, as Altaïr blinked only once before smiling.

"And I you, Cynthia…" He responded.

My smile grew at those words before it fell, and my expression became much more serious, yet held some nervousness with in it.

"I wish to be with you. Closer to you..." I spoke in a timid voice, moving my hands onto his chest while my gaze followed suit.

He eyed me for a long moment.

"But you are close to me. In fact, we have become closer in just one night than any other."

I remained silent for a long moment, swallowing the lump in my throat, before returning my gaze back up to him.

"What I mean..." I continued, "is that...I..." I looked away again, a dark blush forming on my cheeks. "I wish to...to go further than...than this."

I began to shrink back slightly with embarrassment as I sensed realization strike his features, knowing just what I was trying to get at.

"Cynthia..." He muttered, pulling me into a warm embrace. "Are you sure...that is what you want?"

Hesitating only slightly, I nodded.

"I am absolutely sure," I responded. "I have never been surer about anything than I am now."

Slowly, he pulled back slightly to look me in the eye, searching for any signs of hesitation or change of heart. Instead, he only saw truth within my forest green eyes and confidence, although my heart raced with fear of what was to come. It was something I _never_ would have considered in a lifetime, but when I was with him, I knew for a fact he would never hurt me, never betray me, never use me as other men would have done if given the opportunity. Even the look in his eyes was still unsure if what I asked for was what I truly wanted. Smiling, I leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips once more, reassuring him that not only was I speaking the truth but also letting him know that I would be fine. Pulling away, I stared into his eyes again, noticing that he understood what I wanted.

"If that is what you wish," he muttered as he leaned in to kiss me again, "my love."

Gently placing his lips against once more, everything afterwards was hazy, but filled with passion and bliss. It was a night I would never forget for as long as I lived...


	19. The Truth Comes Out Pt I

_**That Morning...**_

_**June 20, 1191**_

The rays of the morning sunlight entered into my bedroom, causing me to stir a bit in my sleep. As much as I did not wish to wake up from what seemed like a wonderful, never-ending dream, sleep would not return to me. Groaning slightly, my green eyes slowly began opening, watching the sunlight's rays enter my room from the closed balcony windows and brighten everything around me with a dim glow. I did not remember how exactly I had returned to my room, but frankly I did not seem to mind all that much anymore. Last nights events continued to cloud my mind, causing me to blush profusely at the thoughts that raced through my mind. Although it seemed hazy, I could remember almost everything that had happened. The emotions I felt were heightened to a point where I just wanted to cry out in pure ecstasy. I had never experienced anything like last night before. Even with that fact in mind, though, I knew it was the best feeling in the world; a feeling I would love to feel over and over again.

Sighing contently, I moved slightly to become more comfortable, but immediately felt something around me and keeping me in one place. Blinking, my gaze moved downward, since my mind could barely think straight so early in the morning, as I moved the blanket that laid over top of me. My eyes soon fell upon another hand, one that warmed my bare skin despite not having moved in a rather long period of time. Knowing just who it belonged to without even thinking of it, I smiled and released the blanket, allowing it to shield my nude body from view once more. Shifting again, I looked up as I placed my hand against the warm body of another person lying with me, causing it to rise and fall at a calming pace. My smile grew even more as I gazed upon the face of my newfound lover, whose eyes were still shut and his breathing was calm. He remained asleep, undisturbed by my stirring. Closing my eyes once again, I nuzzled into his chest, my smile still playing against my lips.

"You are awake," said the familiar voice of Altaïr. Reopening my eyes, I looked back up at him, noticing his dark colored eyes staring down into mine. Without a word, I silently nodded. "You look beautiful while you sleep..." He went on.

I smiled as my face darkened a bit.

"Thank you…" I replied, my voice feeling a bit hoarse, but barely noticeable. He simply smiled and pulled me into his arms even more. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since you started moving," he responded. "Assassins are very light sleepers."

My smile grew slightly at his words.

"I will have to remember that when you wake me up at the crack of dawn." He chuckled at my words before kissing the top of my head. "We need to get dressed," I said, sitting up but holding the blanket over my bare chest, "before someone walks in and sees us in bed together."

Altaïr sat up as well, wrapping both of his arms around my waist.

"Since when has anyone seeing us in bed ever mattered before?"

I looked over my shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Since my friends think that I must remain a virgin until I am married," I responded in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. He shrugged as he released me, allowing me to move off the bed and sit on the edge, searching for the clothes Amal had laid out for me before "heading to bed" last night.

"Do you think they will be upset to know that you are not married, as well as not a virgin?" He questioned as I spotted the clothes on the dresser across the room.

"Alexandra might be," I explained as I got up, wrapping the blanket around my body before walking over to it, "but Ada...not so much. Diana has no idea about you, but I am sure she would be livid to know this."

"You have not told her?" I felt his gaze on me as I picked up the clothes.

"Not yet. I was worried about your safety all week that I must have forgotten." I turned to look at him, clothes in hand. "Besides, what good would it be to tell her without you here?"

He shrugged as I motioned for him to look away, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"I have seen you without clothes, Cynthia," he pointed out.

I began blushing profusely as he turned to sit on the bed, grabbing his pants that lay near it.

"I know, I know," I responded as I dropped the blanket and began putting on the undergarment to shield my breasts first before slipping on the red blouse that was left for me, "but I am very, uh, _uncomfortable_ with my body."

I heard him chuckle.

"So that was why you were blushing so much while I undressed you."

I jumped at his words, my blush darkening even more, before picking up my boot that was nearby.

"A-Altaïr!" I exclaimed in a low tone, throwing it at him. Without even looking up, he caught it with on hand and glanced over at me, smirking slightly. Realizing I still did not have any pants on, I dropped to the floor and wrapped the blanket around me, my face about as crimson as my blouse. "S-stop looking!"

He laughed at my flustered state before he continued getting dressed.

"I never realized how embarrassed you became while talking about your own body," he commented as I quickly slipped on my clothes before he could turn around again.

"It is not every day that a man gets to see me naked," I muttered loud enough for him to hear as I finished getting dressed. I turned to him while I put a purple sash around my waist. "Besides, I am not the most attractive woman in the world."

He looked back at me as I picked up the boot that was near me and slipped it on.

"You seem to be lying to yourself, my dear."

I raised an eyebrow as I approached him, eyes on the boot I had thrown at him, which was conveniently placed right next to him.

"What do you mean I am lying to myself?" I reached down to pick up the boot. Suddenly, his hand fell upon my wrist, grasping it firmly yet gently, before pulling me onto the bed. I gasped as my back collided with blankets while Altaïr simply lied above me, one arm wrapping around my waist while the other supported him upward. He had most of his outfit on, like his robes, while the rest of his things, such as his sword and knives, were placed somewhere else where I could not see them. I stared up at him as he ran a hand through my hair, brushing away the few strands that had fallen in my face.

"Because I know you are beautiful. To me."

I blinked a few time before smiling up at him, placing a hand on his cheek.

"I find that hard to believe," I spoke in a bit of a teasing tone.

He smirked.

"Then I will just have to prove it to you," he muttered before placing his lips against mine once again.

I inhaled deeply, enjoying how passionate his kiss was. It stole my breath away so easily, and I felt speechless. Without hesitation, I returned the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer to me. All the love we felt for one another was expressed in that kiss as it had been the very first time. To know he had loved me as much as I had loved him made my heart skip a beat more times than it should have. I knew it did so because it was overjoyed to finally say he was mine, I was his, and we were together. He loved me and saw me as a person. Not as the Templar I was once, but for me. I knew for a fact that nothing in the world could change his mind no matter what the circumstances happened to be thrown at him, and vice versa. Well, there still was one problem, one I failed to acknowledge until now.

Suddenly, a knock came from my door, causing us to both break the kiss. I looked up toward the door, staring at it at an upside down angle, yet remained silent. Altaïr also stared at the door intently, wondering who it could have been that caused us to break our romantic moment between each other. However, he remained silent as well as we waited for the person to speak up. After another moment of silence, the door sounded once again, only this time, the person spoke, a person I did not expect to hear.

"Cynthia, are you awake yet?"

_Diana._

My jaw dropped as I quickly moved Altaïr out of the way, sat up, and frantically began putting on my other boot. _What the hell is she doing here_, I wondered. Usually, it was Amal who woke me up in the morning. I had no problem with Diana waking me, as Amal might have been busy, but this was horrible day to let her wake me up!

"Not good, not good, not good," I muttered frantically before turning my head toward the door and answering her in a calm tone, "Yes, Diana. I am awake."

"Is it alright if I come in?" She spoke, her voice slightly muffled due to the door being shut. "Amal told me I should come wake you up."

My head shot over to Altaïr, who had just put his hood on, got up, and began putting his weapons on him.

"Um, just a minute!" I told her, finishing up with my boot before getting to my feet. "I have to…" I trailed off as I looked around the room to stall her. Then, my eyes landed on the unkempt bed, giving me an idea. "I have to fix my bed!"

"Since when do you do that?" Diana asked. "Bernard offers to do that for you, does he not?"

I cringed at the sound of Bernard's name as I turned back to Altaïr, whose eyes shot over to the door. I could see his eyes narrow from under his hood as his hidden blade appeared. I ran over to him and placed a hand against his while the other went to his chest.

"Don't…" I whispered to him. "He is a friend, and only a friend."

"How do I know that?" He whispered back, his voice clearly not appreciating the mentioning of another man. "He could be falling for you, and you may not even notice."

"He has not done anything to me, my love," I responded, placing my hand against his cheek to calm him. "Besides, he is much older than I, and is in love with my aunt. He sees me as a daughter and nothing more. _I swear__._"

He visibly relaxed as his hidden blade disappeared before he looked down at me, staring into my eyes intently.

"Alright. I trust you."

"Cynthia, who are you talking to?" Questioned Diana, who sounded suspicious.

I cursed under my breath, nearly forgetting about her, as I pulled Altaïr off the bed and began pushing him toward the balcony.

"No one! No one is here!" I told her.

"But I heard whispering," she said. "I am not stupid, you know."

"I was...talking to myself," I tried to tell her as I opened the balcony doors. "I was making sure everything was in order and nothing was out of place before letting you inside."

"Ha ha…" She laughed in a sarcastic tone of voice as the door knob began to turn. "You never talk to yourself, _ever_, especially when you are trying to keep things in order. Obviously, someone is in there with you."

"Do not come in yet! I amchanging!" I exclaimed, quickly pushing Altair out the doors. "Go, Altaïr! Please!" I whispered to him quickly. However, instead of continuing, he turned back around and wrapped his arms around me.

"If she is to find out," he whispered as my hands landed on his chest, "then she will find out today."

I sighed as I slowly moved back, but held onto his hands tightly.

"I will tell her, and since this is happening, I will tell her today! Immediately!" I responded. "Now, go! Please! She will surely try to kill you if you do not go!"

He shook his head at my words.

"She cannot kill me," He gripped my hands firmly but gently, "and she will not."

"There you go again. Someone is in there talking to you." Diana spoke up, turning the doorknob and letting herself inside.

"Do not come in here yet!" I turned Altaïr around again and began pushing him out.

However, it was too late as the door opened completely.

"Who else is in-?"

She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Both Altaïr and I froze in our spots as I turned my head to look at the young French woman who had entered my room. What I saw made my heart sink with fear. She entered the room and noticed us at the balcony doors. Her eyes were wide with shock while both Altaïr and I returned the stare, completely silent under her stunned gaze. Her eyes remained on Altaïr for a long moment, before looking at me, and then back at him. She seemed to turn pale at the sight of the Assassin standing there with me pushing him out onto my balcony doors, attempting to get him out of there before she came in. She was speechless, unsure of what to say to what she was looking at at the present time. I slowly smiled sheepishly in her direction. _Well_, I thought, _she was going to find out the truth sooner or later..._

"H-hello, Diana…" I spoke up, attempting – but failing – at breaking the awkward silence between us. She did not say anything as her gaze went from me to Altaïr once more. She was more surprised to see Altaïr standing in the room than she was to see me pushing him out onto the balcony.

"C-Cynthia..." She slowly spoke, pointing toward Altaïr slightly. "T-that...that is..."

I sighed as I took a small step toward her.

"Listen to me, Diana," I said. "I can explain...but only if you do not lose it."

She looked at me again before looking back at him. Unfortunately, she was unable to do just that.

"THAT IS AN ASSA-"

_**WHACK!**_

Diana was cut off by a loud whack resonating throughout the room. With widened eyes, she immediately collapsed to the ground, falling unconscious instantly. I stared at her limp and unconscious body for a long moment, bewildered and shocked by what just happened, before slowly looking up. The person I saw standing at the doorway was a wide-eyed and fearful Ada, the sheath of her sword in hand and raised slightly to eye level. She was panting a bit, possibly from running she had to do in order to get up to my room, but was more or less calm. Sighing, she looked back at me, stared at me for a brief second, before looking at Altaïr. She sent him a small smile before running a hand through her hair, allowing her arm that held her blade to fall to her side. Clearly, she was a little embarrassed for the action she pulled seconds ago, but did not seem to have any other choice in the matter.

"That...was not really necessary, was it?" She sheepishly asked. Not knowing what to say, I simply shrugged in response.

Footsteps were soon heard approaching my bedroom and, within just a few seconds, Alexandra had appeared behind Ada, panting from the running she had to do just to get up here. Before she could speak, she noticed Diana's unconscious body lying limply on the ground before looking at Ada, who still held her sword in her hand.

"What the hell happened here?" The dark haired woman questioned frantically. "I heard Diana screaming before something hitting the ground." Without a word, Ada looked at Alexandra and pointed in Altaïr's direction, one she followed immediately. Her eyes widened slightly before she smiled and looked at him, uttering a "See, Cynthia? I told you he would come."

I was speechless, unsure of what to say at that point to anyone. Instead, I stared at Diana's limp body. _What the hell is going on_, I thought to myself. Were we really desperate enough to keep Altaïr a secret from her that we resorted to knocking her out cold just to be safe? It was wrong; absolutely wrong. Yes, I wanted to keep the secret from her for a while longer until I knew for sure Altaïr was safe, but doing this just went too far, especially when I knew that everything was alright. Now I knew for sure that keeping the secret was too much stress on our hands. Besides, Altaïr was safe, so there was no point in trying to keep the secret away from her any longer. Today, she had to find out the truth of what was going on, no questions asked. However, we would be forced to have to wait a little while until she was awake in order for us to do just that.

A pair of arms wrapped around me, grabbing my attention immediately. Looking up, I noticed the calm gaze of Altaïr, wanting to make sure I was alright. I sent him a quick, reassuring smile before looking back at Ada and Alexandra, inhaling deeply.

"We need to tell her," I said, "today."

They exchanged looks between one another before looking back at me.

"Are you sure?" Ada questioned. "Do you even know if she is going to take it well?"

I slowly shook my head.

"No, she is not going take it well, but look at what we have resorted to in order to keep this secret hidden from her." Silence as the two looked down at Diana before looking back at me. "When she wakes up," I laced my fingers with Altaïr's unconsciously and possibly out of stress, "we tell her _everything_."

Alexandra sighed and walked over to Diana's body.

"Alright, whatever you say Cynthia."

With that, she picked up the unconscious body and walked out, Ada following her closely while putting her sword back in its original spot. I sighed and ran my free hand over my face, the stress taking its toll on me. Sensing this, Altaïr pulled into his arms again, making me lean against him with my back. I looked up at him, noticing the reassuring gaze he sent to me. It was enough to make me smile, but not enough to make me feel any better. Guilt was slowly beginning to take over, and it was starting to laugh at me. _Y__ou should have told her_, it said to me in a menacing tone of voice, one that sent a shiver down my spine. _You should have told her from the start_. As much as I wanted to do just that, I did not want to risk anything. Unfortunately, the one thing I was going to risk...was our friendship. Something I really, _truly_, did not want to lose.


	20. The Truth Comes Out Pt II

_**Later On...**_

"THERE WAS AN ASSASSIN IN CYNTHIA'S BEDROOM!" Diana screamed; sitting upright in her seat and making Alexandra, Ada, and I jump in unison at her outburst. "Someone needs to save her before she dies!"

A good couple of hours had slowly passed by before Diana finally woke up after being knocked unconscious by Ada and the sheath of her blade. During that time period, I conversed with Ada and Alexandra as to how we should explain to her everything without throwing it all in her face as one time. If we did just that, who knew how upset or outraged she would be? As much as I wanted him nearby to keep me sane for a little while, I had to tell Altaïr that it was not a good idea to remain in the vicinity while we explained the situation to Diana, for fear of attempting to kill him or something along those lines. Knowing the situation would probably get out of hand, he gave me a simple kiss before disappearing into the streets of Damascus, saying something about stopping by a "Rafiq," whoever that was. I knew in the back of my mind that he would be nearby soon, just in case something were to happen, but he would have to keep his distance just to be safe.

Alexandra sighed as she placed her hands on Diana's shoulders.

"Calm down, Diana," she spoke. "Cynthia is fine. There is nothing to worry about."

The French woman shook her head furiously.

"How can I calm down when my friend was nearly killed by an Assassin?" She snapped at her.

"But that is the thing," I spoke up, approaching her slowly. "I was not going to be killed by him at all."

She looked at me, confusion filling her expression, before saying, "But there was an Assassin in your bedroom! How can you say he was not there to kill you?"

"Just because there was an Assassin in her room does not particularly mean that she would have been killed," Ada said, trying her best to calm her down. "He could have been there for...other reasons."

Diana looked over at her, now becoming frustrated.

"And what would those other reasons be, Ada?" She questioned. "Was he going over to her to join him for a night of tea and crumpets with other Assassins? I do not think so!" We all remained silent at that point, sending one another different expressions. None of us knew what to say to that, since we were still inching our way to telling her the truth of Altaïr. She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for someone to speak up, before she sighed, "Your silence only means Cynthia was nearly killed by the Assassin..."

I sighed and shook my head, pulling up a chair to sit next to her.

"Diana, that is not it," I started to tell her. "If you would let me explain-"

"What do you mean that is not it?" Diana questioned, looking over at me. "Is there something else to all of this or what?"

I looked over at Ada and Alexandra, who nodded as a silent way of letting me know that now was the perfect time to tell her. I sighed and returning my attention to Diana, looking away for a moment before looking her straight in her eyes.

"The...Assassin was not trying to kill me, Diana." I started, hesitating when I called Altaïr 'the Assassin.' "I was...trying to get him out of my room before you came in…"

She raised an eyebrow, thoroughly confused by my words at that point.

"Why were you trying do that?"

I looked over her shoulder and toward a wall.

"Because…because he stayed with me last night…and I did not want you to see him..."

Her eyes widened with shock.

"Wait a minute. Why are you referring to the Assassin as 'him?' Do you know who the Assassin is?"

I cringed slightly, knowing I was getting closer and closer to telling her the truth, before answering.

"That…Assassin…" I paused, "His name is Altaïr Ibn-la'Ahad. The same Assassin who...who injured you back in Jerusalem…"

Her expression changed to one of anger at that point, realization striking her features.

"You have to be joking...are you?"

I swallowed hard, and slowly shook my head. The stress was starting to take a toll on me.

"This...this is not a joke, Diana." I told her. "This is serious."

"Then he found us!" She exclaimed, getting to her feet. "He is after me! I know it! He is trying to kill me again!"

Alexandra groaned before forcing Diana to return to her seat.

"First of all, Altaïr was _not_ trying to kill you to start with. He was after Cynthia," she started to explain. "And second, he is not trying to kill her anymore."

Diana blinked before looking down toward the ground.

"Then, what was he doing here…" She questioned; her voice calming a bit as if she was trying to understand what was going on.

I looked away from her, leaning back in my seat a bit and sighing.

"He was visiting me…" I spoke. "He came to Damascus just to see me again."

Diana looked at her.

"Visiting? Again?"

"Yes..."

She shook her head before running a hand through her auburn hair.

"I still do not get it! What the hell is going on here? Why is some Assassin coming to visit Cynthia? Why would he not want to kill her? We are Templars!" She looked over us. "I want the truth, and I want it now!"

Her only response from the rest of us, since the tension was very high at that point, was silence. Glancing over at Ada and Alexandra, they returned their gazes as a way of reassuring me. Still, I was not sure if telling Diana the truth would ruin our friendship, something I held dear to my heart. I always told her secrets, no matter how personal they were, and she would keep it. However, if it involved Assassins, let alone the one that accidentally injured her, her blood would boil and burst. She grew up believing that the Assassins were "nothing but a bunch of cold blooded killers," just as the Templars wanted. However, she was my friend, and sometimes she understood my reasons for doing certain things. Now, though, it was much different. It involved the Assassins, the people she grew up hating all her life. _I just hope_, I thought as I inhaled deeply, _she will not overreact._

"Altaïr…" I started, "has been...visiting me since the day he injured you. He did not mean to do it, as he was after me, but you must have gotten in the way. Anyway, I chased after him to exact revenge, but...something changed. Although he wanted to finish me off, as I had injured him in order to slow him down, I wanted him to kill me. Yet, he couldn't do it. Then, he came to visit me that night." A pause. "It was...completely unexpected, and I did not know I would see him again until he appeared in my room."

Diana listened to my words for a moment, taking in the information I was giving her, before speaking.

"Why did not you try to kill him? He was there, in your room. So why did you not kill him when you had the chance?"

My head lowered.

"I…could not do it..." I muttered, but loud enough for her to hear me.

At that point, she stood up once again, looking down at me with bewilderment in her eyes.

"But he tried to kill you!" She exclaimed. "How could you not try to kill him if he was right there in front of you, after he tried to kill you off?"

"I could not kill him!" I retorted, not daring to look in her eyes any longer. "He did not even try to kill me that night, so why would I do the same?" A quick pause, "He said that...that he refused to kill me anyway..."

"Why would he refuse to kill his target?"

I looked up at her, my forest green eyes hazy from the stress.

"For starters, he told me I was an innocent person, and that I did not deserve to die."

She tilted her head to one side, not fully understanding what I was talking about.

"For what reason would he say that?"

"He said killing the innocent was against the Creed."

"The Creed? What's the Creed?"

"The Assassin's Creed. Tenants that they have to follow."

She shook her head, dismissing the fact altogether. I could tell she was trying to keep her nerves in check, but she was failing miserably.

"Alright. I may not understand this 'Assassin's Creed,' but it seems...reasonable, I guess." She looked at me once more "Are there any other reasons that I should know about?"

"…Yes."

"Well, what is it?" My gaze fell to the floor, "I'm waiting to hear your answer! What was it?"

_This was it_, I told myself. Now was the time to finally tell Diana the truth. In a way, she was starting to piece the puzzle together, but it appeared she was being stubborn about believing it all. Since she greatly disliked the Assassins, she did not want to believe anything that they believed in, seeing them as pointless and stupid. However, in a way, she was trying to understand it all, but seeing as it was the Assassin who accidentally injured her, she found it difficult to do just that. Nevertheless, she wanted to know the truth. Whether it hurt to find out or not, she wanted to know exactly what was going on and why Altaïr visited me for the past month. _You wish to know the truth_, I thought. _well, now you get to hear it_.

Slowly, I stood up, but kept my head lowered so as to not look her in the eye.

"He thinks that my heart is different from what he had seen in the past…" I spoke up after a long moment of silence. "He said he would not kill someone who was so willing to do anything to protect the people she cared about."

It grew silent at that point as I sensed her gaze on me. I could tell her expression changed to one of shock, but said nothing to express that emotion outwardly. Ada and Alexandra silently stood by, allowing the exchange between us to continue until it was time to interject for whatever reason. I had a feeling that look would come across her face if I told her. At that point, two options came to mind when it came to Diana's reaction to this: 1.) She would lose it and take it out on me, or 2.) Remain calm for a long moment, taking in all of the information...and then losing it. Either way, she would probably be upset. Still, there was always a third option when it came to a situation like this: She would not take out all her anger and frustration. However, as much as I wanted to see that happen right now, I began doubting that option altogether, since it was one of the many impossible things that could happen in the world.

After another long moment of silence, Diana's head also lowered, staring at the ground.

"Your heart is...different...?" I slowly looked up to stare at her lowered head. _Choice Number One was out of the picture_, I thought. _Now, it was either Choice Number Two or Choice Number Three._

"Yes," I stated slowly, keeping my composure as best as I could. "Since that day, we...we have been seeing one another every night for an entire month."

"A month?" She spoke in a low tone, barely even looking at me.

"Yes…"

Her body tensed slightly.

"So…the escape plan…"

"Altaïr was the one who planned it all out," I explained. "I...I simply added a few touches to it in order for it to be set in stone."

A long pause before she spoke again.

"And...and the robes?"

"He gave them to me a few days before we made our escape. I simply stated that we needed a disguise. I never told him to bring them at all."

Silently, her head rose, but to a point where her eyes were seen. They bore into mine with a menacing gaze, sending a shiver down my spine.

"…When were you planning on telling me about all of this?" Her voice sounded like that of the devil himself, yet I kept my calm composure.

"When we...when we got here...to Damascus…"

Her jaw locked into place for a moment, clearly replaying the words in her mind.

"I see..." She paused. "Well...we are in Damascus…"

"Yes. I know we are…"

At that point, I felt her grab me by my blouse and slam me against the wall, her eyes filled with so much rage it made me turn pale. It was clear that Choice Number Two had won once again.

"SO WHY THE HELL DID YOU NOT TELL ME THE MOMENT WE GOT HERE?" She screamed, gripping my blouse tightly. She appeared to be near the brink of tears, feeling betrayed by us, but held them back.

"Diana! Let her go!" Ada exclaimed as she tried to come over and pull her off of me. However, she was stopped by Alexandra pulling her by the collar of her blouse.

"Don't, Ada!" The dark haired Hungarian woman told her. "This needs to be resolved now!"

"W-we were going tell you, Diana!" I told her, placing my hands on hers. "I swear we were! The reason we did not tell you was because Altaïr was not here in Damascus, and I thought telling you would be pointless without at least knowing he was alive!"

Her eyes narrowed further.

"So you decided to waste your time waiting for the bastard to come back before you could tell me all of this? That is the most ridiculous excuse I have heard in my life!"

"You saw him get captured by the Templars the same day we got out of Jerusalem!"

"The only reason that happened to him was because I injured him!" My eyes widened as my breathing hitched. "I injured him because I wanted to get revenge against him!"

At that point, my eyes narrowed with anger and rage as I pulled Diana's hands off me before taking hold of her collar, swinging her around, and pinning her against the wall within a few seconds. Her eyes remained angered, but I knew she was shocked by the sudden action I pulled against her.

"_YOU WHAT?_" I screamed back at her. "I waited an entire week for him, worrying about his safety, what Abel was doing to him, all because you wanted revenge against him? I GOT REVENGE FOR YOU, DIANA! I TOLD YOU THAT A MONTH AGO!"

"It was not enough, Cynthia!" She retorted. "I did not want anyone else to get revenge for me for any reason whatsoever! It goes against my pride!" Her eyes narrowed further. "And since when have you ever cared about an Assassin? They are nothing but a bunch of heartless killers anyway!"

"He is the whole reason we're here, Diana!" I argued, the grip on her shirt tightening further. "Be grateful that you are not in Jerusalem witnessing the wedding between me and that bastard of man!"

"How thoughtful of him!" Her voice was clearly sarcastic "Why don't you give him a kiss as a thank you from me, Ada, and Alexandra? I'm sure he would enjoy that!"

"I ALREADY DID JUST THAT, BUT IT WAS NOT FOR ANY OF YOU!"

Diana's eyes widened; her shock now eminent on her face.

"W...what...?"

"We kissed, alright? On the rooftop! By ourselves! Without anyone else to see us! And you what else I did? I slept with him, too!" Her face paled. "And I enjoyed it! Every little bit of it! I enjoyed kissing him! Hell, I even enjoyed sleeping with him! I wanted to do it again, but I knew I could not! Because I fell asleep in his arms, where I felt safer, the safest I have ever felt in my twenty-three years of living! I loved falling asleep in his arms! I loved seeing him visit me in the middle of the night, and now I will be able to see him as much as I want! I enjoyed staying up late in the night just to wait for him, and now I can do just that again! And my excuse for doing all of this? It is because _I love him_! I do not love Abel, I do not love Robert, and I do not love any of the Templars I had ever laid eyes on! I love Altaïr, more than anything the entire world!" Tears began welling up in my eyes. "I love him so much I would throw down my life just to be with him, forget everything I grew up learning! I would betray the people I know and love just to see him again, to be with him again! I realize now that would never live with myself if I never saw him again! I love him and only him, and there is _NOTHING_ you or anybody else can do to try and stop me!"

At that point, I slowly released Diana and took several steps away from her, a few tears running down my cheeks and onto the ground. She simply stood there like a statue, staring at me. Rage was clear in my eyes despite having tears falling as I glared at her. She appeared frightened of me as I scolded her. I could not blame her for feeling that way. I just felt so mad at her, so enraged, for acting the way she did. However, I could not stay mad at her forever, as she was my friend and I loved her. Unfortunately, I was still upset that it was because of her that Altaïr was captured by the Templars to begin with. Still, she did not know what was going on in the first place, so it was not entirely her fault to begin with.

A long moment of silence droned on, Diana slowly lowered her head and said nothing to my outburst of anger. My enraged state slowly began to die down as the silence grew between us. Clearly, she was deep in thought about everything I just told her, trying to understand the emotions I felt for Altaïr. My glare turned into one of sadness, but I said nothing to her. After another long moment of silence, Diana raised her head and looked at me. A blank expression was written on her face.

"Why..." She spoke, her voice slightly hoarse, but nothing serious, "did you not tell me all of this...back in Jerusalem…?"

I remained silent for a moment before answering.

"We were afraid that you would become upset about it all and...and tell someone..."

"Is that why you did not tell me?" It was clear she was trying to remain calm, but obviously it was failing.

"It was the only way to keep you from spilling," Alexandra spoke up, her voice low. Diana glanced at Alexandra for a moment before looking back at me.

Then, she hesitantly pushed herself off the wall and stood up straight.

"None of you told me...because you were afraid that I would tell someone..." I remained silent as I looked away from her, tears still falling from my eyes before slowly nodding. "I thought...I thought you were my friends. I thought you trusted me..."

I looked back at her.

"Diana, we are your friends. And we do trust you."

She shook her head at my words.

"This is the reason why I said I thought…" She spoke, sounding as if she was about to start crying, "because you are not anymore."

My eyes slightly widened with shock as she walked passed me, purposefully bumping into me, before grabbing her robe and walking out the door, slamming it behind her in the process. The room grew silent after the long and unwanted fight between one another, mainly between Diana and myself. Guilt began to take over my body as my head lowered. Ada and Alexandra gazes fell upon me; they were unsure of what to say, what to do, to ease the tension that had been built up. I simply stood there, staring at the ground with shame, before moving toward the wall where Diana once leant. Staring at it for a long moment, more tears began falling down my cheeks. Then, without thinking, my fist connected to it, a loud bang resonating throughout the room as if it were echoing. The impact was not hard enough to injure me, but enough for pain to fill my arm for a moment before subsiding.

_I am a horrible person_, I told myself. I could not even tell my own friend, someone I trusted with my life, about something as important as this. I feared her reaction much more than believing in the trust and this was the result of it all in the end. Diana no longer saw us as friends, but as enemies instead; and it was all because of me. I thought to myself, I did not want to tell her the truth because I feared she would say something to one of the Templars. I did not tell her the truth because I feared she would try and go after Altaïr herself and finish him off, which I doubted knowing Altaïr was much stronger than she was. I did not tell her the truth...because I was stupid and thought of myself, of the plan, of Altaïr, before thinking of the friendship we have. Well, _had_. Now, it was all ruined, destroyed because I did not want to tell her the truth.

...Wonderful.

"It seems she did not take it very well…"

My head shot up as I looked over to find Altaïr leaning against the wall on the other side of the room. It seemed he had only just arrived there, but that did not matter to me. Without thinking, I ran over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face into his robes. He returned the embrace as I began crying silently.

"I am a horrible person, Altaïr..." I muttered. "A horrible, uncaring person who thinks only of herself..."

"No, you are not." He spoke, rubbing my back. "You did what you believed was the right thing to do..."

I tightened my grip around him.

"And look at what has happened as a result of thinking that way..."

He said nothing more as a response, but instead just held me close to him. It was his only way of trying to calm me down and bring me to my senses. Yet, for the first time, when he held me close to him, rubbed my back in a soothing manner...it did not work at all.


	21. Three Tense Weeks Later

_**Three Weeks Later...**_

_**July 11, 1191**_

Three restless and anxious weeks went by at a rather slothful rate, the tension still in the air but not as prominent as before. Since the argument, there was no sign of Diana nearby, nor did I have a feeling that she would return any time soon. My mind continued to linger on the argument as an enormous amount of guilt loomed over my conscience, affecting my supposedly enjoyable time in Damascus. Fortunately, Altaïr had decided to stay with us, wanting to make sure I was going to feel better. I did not protest, as I wanted him to stay with me. Since I was still in a bit of a haze from the fight, I needed someone to try and distract myself from it all and think of the future. Ada and Alexandra also did their best with distracting me, always taking me out and spending time with me outside for a while as Altaïr kept watch of the guards both on the ground and on the rooftops (which was usually why he was never around me in public). Unfortunately, although I appreciated the help and the thought, I still found myself scanning the streets for the auburn haired French woman, hoping I would find her and attempt to bring her back home. I wanted to make amends with her, let her know how sorry I was, but I did not know if apologizing would be enough to bring her back.

Amal and Bernard had heard of the situation a few days after Diana left. Apparently, Amal had left early that morning after dropping off my clothes in order to do something. She had travel to Acre for something important, but I did not question it, as my mind was still a bit distracted. Unfortunately, she was not really sure as to what to say on the matter either. Thankfully, she did not have to experience everything that had occurred, as I did not want her to see everything that had happened between us. When she asked about what had happened, the room went silent, and the tension returned once again. Not wanting to press the matter even more and upset me, she simply left it at that and changed the subject immediately. Instead, she decided to converse about Altaïr's close bond with me. I helped get my mind off the matter fairly quickly, but it still remained in my mind no matter how much I tried to keep my mind off everything. Bernard, on the other hand, tried to converse with me, trying to help me as much as he could.

"Maybe she is having trouble coping with all of this," he told me one day.

I looked over at him as I lied on my bed, while he stood near the balcony.

"What makes you say that?" I questioned, folding my hands on my stomach.

He looked over at me, smiling warmly in my direction.

"Well, you say she is not a fan of the Assassins, correct?" I nodded. "Maybe she is just having a hard time accepting Altaïr. He did hurt her after all."

"But it was an accident, Bernard." I spoke up, turning to face him. "He did not mean to do it."

"That I respect, as he would not go around hurting innocent people, but she is having difficulty accepting that." I sighed and fell back onto my bed.

"She's not a bad person..." I stated, closing my eyes. "Maybe you're right. Maybe she is having difficulty trying to...cope with all of this."

"If she was your friend," he pointed out as he looked back out the windows of the balcony doors,"she would accept Altaïr as someone who makes you happy, not just as an Assassin."

Those words continued to plague my mind for days, but only one question arose in my mind: _Was she really willing to accept him as such, or still see him as an Assassin?_

* * *

"Do you think...Diana is alright?" questioned Ada while she, Alexandra, Altaïr and I sat in my bedroom. Ada sat near the bed, her back against the edge of it. Alexandra stood near the balcony doors, staring out at the city, while Altaïr and I were on the bed. He sat on the edge of it, and I simply had my head on his lap, looking over the assortment of weapons that presented themselves. "She has been gone for so long; I am actually starting to worry about her more than I anticipated."

Altaïr glanced over at the Swedish woman, placing a hand on my stomach.

"Who knows?" He spoke. "She may still be wandering the city as we speak."

"For three long weeks?" Alexandra pointed out, raising her eyebrow slightly in his direction. "I highly doubt that would be a possibility, even for her. My guess is that she would much rather keep her distance from us for a while. Maybe until her mind was clear enough and she thought all of this through will she decide whether or not to return." A brief pause as she pursed her lips "Then again, I am sure she would not leave the city, since Abel is probably still out searching for us."

"Maybe," Altaïr started, looking over at her as I placed my hand atop his, "she stayed with a friend of hers. She must have someone living here in Damascus and know at least one person here."

At those words, Alexandra shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"She does not have any friends here in Damascus. That we know of, anyway." She explained. "She has only been to Damascus once since she became a Templar Knight, which is rather strange, but no one really questioned it. She was there to patrol the city for a while, and that was it."

"She could have met someone by now and stayed with them," Ada suggested, looking over at the dark haired woman. "It has been three weeks since we have seen her around."

Alexandra shrugged before muttering, "Good point..."

"What do you think, Cynthia?" Ada asked me. I sensed her dark brown eyes fall upon me, expecting me to answer her question. "Do you think she met someone here?"

"To be honest," I muttered, tracing some of the designs on Altaïr's robe for a moment, before shrugging lightly, "I am not entirely sure myself. It is possible she could have met someone in three weeks time." I looked up at her even though she appeared upside down. "Then again, not many people know her as well as we do."

"Plus, her mind is affixed on the Templar lifestyle," Alexandra added. "I do not think anyone would want to be associated with her if that was the case."

I looked over at her.

"To an extent, Alexandra. She believes in the Templar ways and beliefs to an extent. Unlike the others, she does not enforce the laws on others forcefully and without much care."

Ada sighed and turned back around, staring at a wall on the opposite end of the room.

"I just hope she is okay."

My eyes narrowed slightly as I moved to sit on the edge of the bed like Altaïr.

"I think...we all wish she is okay...and that she will come back soon."

Suddenly, as those words escaped my lips, my bedroom door slowly opened. Our attentions were grabbed immediately, and we all looked over to see who it was. My eyes widened slightly as they fell upon a very familiar face looking over us with half-shielded blue eyes. It was Diana and she appeared...out of it, for lack of a better term. She simply stood there at the doorway with her head lowered slightly, looking over all of us in silence. Despite that and everything had happened in the past, a smile immediately appeared on my face as I got to my feet and walked around my bed, approaching her slowly.

"Looks like you are back already…" Alexandra said in a nonchalant tone of voice. "We were just talking about you, assuming you found some new friends. You know, to _replace_ us?"

I ignored her comment as Ada shushed her, not wanting to upset Diana even further than she was weeks ago, while I stopped several feet from her. However, Diana did not respond to Alexandra's comment; it was as if she did not hear it at all.

"Diana, it is...it is good to see you're okay after so long," I spoke up. As I spoke, she flinched and shrank back a bit, as if being in the same room, hearing my voice, hurt too much for her to bear. I frowned as I spoke again, "Are...are you alright? You haven not been around in the past three weeks, and I was..." I looked over at the others, who glanced at me for a moment, before looking back at Diana. "We were worried about you."

Her only response to my question was complete silence. She did not even try to look me in the eye, as if she still remembered the things that happened and still upset with me for keeping everything a secret from her. Feeling hurt yet determined to make amends with my friend, I took a small step toward her, not wanting to approach her too quickly and let her know. Doing so caused a reaction on her part; she took a small step back as well, but still did not say a word to me. Instead, her head slowly raised and she looked into my eyes, but kept her head low. Instead of being filled with the seething anger I saw in her blue eyes weeks ago, they had...changed. Drastically changed. She no longer appeared upset anymore, but as if she had done something she should not have done, something that she greatly regretted to this day.

_Did she feel guilty for what happened?_, I wondered. Did she truly feel ashamed for walking out on her friends when all we did was do what we believed was the right thing to do? I did not want to question her about that, feeling I would be mocking her in some way and assuming she was coming back to apologize for doing such a thing. I had already upset her enough; doing it a second time was harsh. Instead, I took another step toward her, and then another, then another. This time, she did not react, as if she wanted me to approach her, as if she wanted my help. _But what happened,_, I inquired, _that would want her to ask for any help?_

"Diana..." I spoke up as I stopped walking, though kept a safe distance from her as if to give her some space in case she was still upset with me.

The auburn haired woman gradually looked back at the ground, inhaling rather deeply before exhaling a shaky, uneasy, and uncomfortable sigh. Without a word, she turned slightly to pull something out of her pouch, something that was hidden by the dark robe she had since we arrived in Damascus. When she turned back toward me, I immediately noticed what it was that she held in her hand. It was a single red rose with a white note tied to the stem with an orange colored ribbon. The rose appeared to have been freshly picked out and was untainted by time.

She slowly approached me, gripping the rose as if it were her most prized possession, before stopping in front of me. Her head still remained low and toward the ground, staring at both the rose in her hand and her own feet. After a moment of silence, she slowly moved her hand toward mine, taking it lightly. It was clear to me now that she had been shaking. For what ever reason, though, it was beyond my knowledge. She, then, moved it so that the palm was facing upward. I silently watched her place the rose into my hand before closing it, holding it tightly with her own. The thorns that once adored the beautiful flower were no longer there, so I was unharmed as I held on to it. I blinked as she released my hand and turned around. As quietly as she arrived, she was gone in an instant, gone like the wind, as if she had not returned to see us at all. As if she no longer existed in our lives.

I calmly watched the spot in which she stood at for a long moment, feeling dumbfounded as to what just happened. She appeared completely reserved and detached from the world, from us. After another moment, I casually turned around back toward the others, staring at the rose in silence. Unsure of what else to make of what just happened, I looked over at them, who were staring at me with matching expressions; they were all just as confused with the situation as I was.

"What...was that all about...?" Ada questioned, eyeing the rose in my hand for a moment before returning her gaze to me.

"She looked like a ghost," pointed out Alexandra, her harshness in her voice gone entirely. "So pale and sickly; that, or something must have happened on the way here." I simply shrugged as I glanced over at a wall.

"What does that note say?" Ada spoke up.

Realizing I still held the flower in my hands, I looked back down at it, eyeing it for a brief moment before glancing down at said piece of paper that was tied neatly to the stem by the orange ribbon. I slowly placed my hand on it and began opening it, finding that there were words on it. Before I could read it, though, I suddenly began hearing footsteps running toward my room rather quickly. Blinking, I swiftly turned my head to look over my shoulder just in time to see who it was running to my room. In an instant, Bernard appeared in the doorway. He was panting rather heavily as if he had been running a lot just to get here. Turning to face him completely, I placed the rose in my burgundy sash to hide it for now. Reading the note would have to wait until later.

"What is it, Bernard?" I spoke up, approaching him quickly.

"You look as if you have done a lot of running to get here," Alexandra spoke as I place a hand on Bernard's shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"I just got...I just got word from Amal about ten minutes ago," he breathed, "and we have got bad news..."

Tensing, I placed my other hand on his other shoulder, squeezing them for a brief moment.

"What happened to her? Is she alright?"

He nodded frantically.

"Yes, yes, she is alright. Nothing happened to her, but..." He looked me in the eye "but we need to get you out of here. Now. We need you out of Damascus, and get you safely to Acre, or to Egypt, anywhere but here. That was what she said to me, and I plan to keep her word."

"Why would she tell you that...?" Altaïr questioned, getting up from the bed and walking over to stand a few feet from us. "There should be no reason for us to leave until at least a few more days. She said so herself."

Bernard went silent at that as he looked away from us, causing me to tense up with fear and grip his shoulders tightly. His expression started to worry me even more than before.

"What is going on, Bernard?" I half-shouted, my voice began shaking and rose higher than usual, as I frantically wished to know what was wrong. "Tell me! What the hell is going on?"

Bernard's dark colored hair shielded his face from view, as if the news he had was grim, almost. However, knowing how desperate I was becoming to know what had happened, he slowly looked at me with hazel colored eyes. Then, he placed his hands on my shoulders in a fatherly manner, almost as if he were trying to reassure me. Unfortunately, doing so only made me worry even more.

After another moment of silence, he spoke, only to make my body freeze with more fear than I ever thought possible:

"Abel is in Damascus...and he knows exactly where you are."

It felt as if my heart had frozen mid-beat as I slowly released Bernard's shoulders, backing away from him slowly with frightened green eyes. Bernard looked away from me, staring at the ground as if he had just murdered someone. I did not stop moving away from him until I felt myself back into Altaïr's chest, my hands gripping the maroon colored blouse above my rapidly beating heart, while he wrapped his arms around me protectively.

_How was this possible_, I wondered as beads of sweat began rolling down my face. How was it that Abel was able to find me? From my understanding, I was certain he would not find me in just three weeks, as he would have no idea where to start searching. Was it possible he finally looked here in Damascus and found out where we were hiding? Were we somehow exposed by someone loyal to him while wandering the city? My body began shaking violently at the thought. That could be not possible, especially when I made absolutely sure to make myself appear outwardly different to everyone in case such an epidemic were to occur. Unfortunately, I did not expect him to arrive here as soon as he did. Instead, I assumed he would look for me in Damascus while I was all ready on my way to a new location, a location where he would never be able to find me ever again.

Unfortunately, that dream was ceased into nothing but rubble, and disappeared with the wind. No longer would I be able to arrive somewhere else without his knowledge of where I was going. No longer would I feel as if Abel and his men trailing behind me. They knew where I was hiding. They knew I was here. At the thought of him finding me, I did not know what to do. For the first time, I did not know what to do anymore.


	22. Abel in Damascus

"How could he be here?" Questioned an enraged Alexandra, walking toward him but stopping after a few steps, "There is absolutely no way he could have found us!"

Bernard shrugged.

"I do not know how it is possible, but it is. Amal came to warn me that he just entered the city, about thirty guards behind him." A short pause. "She told me to get you out of here and head to Damascus."

Altaïr growl with anger at those words.

"There is no need do that." He walked past me hastily "I will kill him myself."

As he spoke those words, I threw my arms around him, holding him tightly.

"No, Altaïr!" I exclaimed, my voice shaking a bit. "I won't let you go! Not again!"

"He needs to be stopped, Cynthia," he responded. "I will finish him off once and for all."

"But what of the other guards?" I countered. "They will over power you and take you away again!" I gripped his robes tightly. "I can't lose you again, Altaïr. I won't..."

He looked over his shoulder, staring down at me, and remained silent. I looked up to stare at him for a long moment, showing him how I truly did not wish for him to go. However, before anyone had a chance to say anything, a loud knocking sound resonated throughout the building. I flinched and released Altaïr, who looked forward once more. Without a word, Bernard swiftly ran out of the room and down the stairs, Alexandra and Ada following suit. My heart began pounding against my chest as I tried to keep myself calm. Unfortunately, it was not working, and I found myself placing my hands against my face and breathing deeply. A pair of arms soon wrapped around my shoulders, yet I did not protest as I knew it was Altaïr. For a long moment, it grew silent for a moment as the sound of the door opened. Then, voices began to speak.

"Amal!" I heard Bernard's voice exclaim with relief, making me relax a bit in Altaïr's arms. "_Dieu merci, vous êtes bien!_"

"I was able to stay out of sight until I made it here," Amal's voice entered. "Fortunately, none of those bastards saw me." It got quiet after that for a few seconds before Amal spoke again "Where is Cynthia? Is she all right?"

"Yes, she is okay." Ada spoke up. "She is in her room right now with Altaïr."

"Good," Amal sighed with relief. "We have to get her out of here and make our way to Acre."

"What about Diana?" Ada questioned.

"We are not taking her with us this time!" Alexandra retorted harshly. "Forget it!"

"But we can't leave her here! She may have been mad at us, but did you see her before?"

My face lowered slightly as I buried my face into his chest.

"I feel as if this is my fault."

Altaïr's gaze fell upon me, holding me closer to him.

"You have no reason to blame yourself."

"How can you say that?" I questioned, looking up at him. "I did not tell her because I was so focused on leaving Jerusalem. I put my needs before my friendship," My head lowered once more, "and I destroyed it."

Suddenly, before he could say anything else, another loud knock was heard, but this one was more forceful than before. My heart began beating faster, realizing who it was immediately, before a loud crash was heard. Footsteps began entering the home, yet no voices were heard to just yet. Without thinking clearly, I quickly pushed myself out of Altair's arms and ran toward the door. Altaïr, however, swiftly took hold of my arm and pulled me back into his chest, wrapping his arms around me in a secure and protective manner. I looked up at him, noticing him glaring at the doorway, yet remaining very quiet.

"Where is she?" An all too familiar voice spoke, sounding rather enraged. I felt my breath hitch for a brief second as the voice continued, "Tell me where Cynthia is! _Now_!"

"We do not know what you are talking about, Abel!" Amal spoke in a defending tone of voice.

"Do not lie to me! I know she is here!" Abel shouted back. "If Ada and Alexandra are here, then she has to be here as well! Now talk!"

"We do not know where she is!" Amal countered. "She left about an hour ago! I don't know where she went!"

After that, another loud crash was heard. Whimpering, I quickly turned my body around and buried my face into Altair's chest as I listened to the conversation continue.

"You are lying to me! Tell me where Cynthia is now!" Abel demanded, becoming even more enraged than before

"Even if I knew where she was," Amal said, "I would never tell a poor excuse of man like you!"

A slap was heard.

"_Salaud! Je vous tuerai pour ça!_" Shouted Bernard, attempting to attack him due to the rapid footsteps, but was kept back by the guards that were there – I assumed they were guards since Amal mentioned having thirty guards following him.

"Be quiet!" The brute shouted at him before returning his attention to Amal, "You will tell me where she is or you will die!"

I gasped as I tried, but failed, to get out of Altaïr's arms.

"I will not let him do it! She is the only family I have left!"

"You cannot go down there, Cynthia." He told me, his voice matching mine as he struggled to hold onto me. "He will take you away, and I refuse to lose you."

I looked up to him, eyes nearly on the brink of tears.

"But…but Amal is in danger of being killed!" I told him. "I will not let her die at the hands of-!"

"Go ahead! Do what you want with me!" Amal shouted, unintentionally cutting me off. "I will die to protect my niece from you!"

I, then, heard that menacing and maniacal laugh. It sounded as if he had lost his mind.

"You do not want to be killed, I know you do not," he spoke. "Tell me where she is, and I will let you and your little friends go."

"Never," she hissed angrily. "_Over my dead body_."

There was silence for a moment before more maniacal laughter.

"So be it…"

Suddenly, a shriek was heard from her, from my beloved Amal. My forest green eyes widened as my heart began shattering to pieces, listening to the agonizing shrieks coming from my only family member. I knew, at that moment, the fate that had befallen my aunt. The sound of stabbing, slashing, screaming, and crashing made my body shake violently, and tears began to stream down my face. With every stab, there was another screaming, another shriek, another crash and shatter. I heard pleading from Bernard, begging for Abel to stop, begging for him to not finish his dear lover off for good. His voice sounded as if he were about to break down into tears, but he was unable to do anything. Abel continued to stab her despite the begging from Amal's lover. I buried my face into Altair's chest and began crying violently.

How could this have happened? How could this be happening to someone who meant everything to me, who treated me like a daughter and become the mother I had always wanted in life, who gave me hope in this dark time? To know it was all about to end made my heart sink and shatter into thousands of tiny pieces, breaking apart like rubble after an explosion. My world seemed to go crashing into nothing, burning in an eternal inferno of hell. It felt as if a huge chunk of my life was being ripped out of me, leaving nothing but a half-empty shell behind to weep forevermore. I felt helpless, unable to move as Abel murdered Amal without care. It may not have been in front of my own eyes, but I could still hear the voices, the screaming, coming from her. The need to help her slowly consumed me, but I was unable to help her. It felt like I was watching the whole thing in front of my eyes.

I felt feeble, inferior, weak...

Suddenly, the screaming and the stabbing stopped, and silence took over the entire building. My breathing stopped as I waited for something, anything, to happen next. My body continued to shake violently, yet I did not dare to make a sound for fear that he would find me. Altaïr continued to hold me close to him, still glaring at the door in silence in case any of the guards came up here next. It was over, and I already knew what the outcome was. I knew Amal was brutally murdered, murdered by that bastard, murdered by Abel. I gripped Altaïr's robes tightly, tears streaming down my cheeks as I silently cried again.

"Alright…" Abel's voice spoke up, sounding slightly breathlessly. "You three...you are next. Get them!"

Right after he said those words, the sound of swords clashing against each other was heard. Shouts and cries of pain were heard as some of the guards slumped to the ground. It did not last very long, though. A shriek was heard suddenly, making me jump and turn toward the door. After that, the sound of screaming was heard as well. My face paled, recognizing the sound as Alexandra's screaming voice. More swords clashed together, and the sound of blades ripping flesh was soon heard. The fear of losing my friends plagued my mind, and increased as footsteps started to approach her. My heart began pounding as I gripped onto Altaïr for dear life, praying it was not Abel and his guards. The footsteps approached the door and slammed it open, causing me to jump. They came in and the door slammed behind whoever it was. My head shot up to spot Ada. She backed up against the door, panting; covered in blood. Her clothes were stained with it, but other than that she appeared fine.

"Ada!" I exclaimed, but in a low voice. I quickly ran over and hugged her tightly. She hugged me back for a few seconds before releasing me. "What happened down there? And where is Alexandra?"

"She was taken away by Abel's men," she told me. "They are fighting Bernard right and left; tearing everything apart..."

"Christ!" I murmured, but lowered my head slightly. "What happened to Amal…?" Even though I already knew what had happened, I wanted to hear it from the lips of someone who witnessed it. I wanted to know it was all a dream, and everything that was happening was nothing but a figment of my imagination.

Ada was silent for a moment, staring up at me slightly, before looking away from me, dark brown eyes lowering.

"She's…dead," she told me. "Abel killed her…"

I inhaled deeply, holding back the tears, before glaring at a wall.

"I will kill the bastard," I spoke in a menacing tone of voice. "I will kill him!"

Before anything could actually happen, my door banged on loudly, making me jump and move away from it. I sensed Altaïr approach me from behind, placing an arm around my shoulders and unsheathing his hidden blade. Ada pushed her back against the door, holding it there as they tried to break the door down.

"Cynthia~" That horrible voice cooed, making shrink into Altaïr's arms, yet I clenched my fists out of anger. "I know you are in here, darling. Please come out. I do not want to hurt you…"

My fists clenched with anger and rage, but Altaïr held me back.

"Cynthia, you and Altaïr have to get out of here." Ada said in a low voice. "I will try to hold them off for as long as I can."

"I won't leave you!" I responded, keeping my voice low as well. "I won't let the same fate fall upon you like Alexandra or even Amal!"

"It does not matter what happens to me, Cynthia!" Ada retorted, making me flinch a bit. "It matters what happens to you! You need to get away from here as fast as you can! You have to go to Acre. It is the only safe place to go."

A single tear streamed down my face, not wanting to leave her behind.

"But…" I started, but she cut me off as the banging continued.

"Please, Cynthia. It is either be caught or get away…"

I stared at her for a long moment, staring at her and not wanting to move from my spot. However, before I could make a move of my own, I was quickly pulled away from her by Altaïr and began running toward the balcony. Instead of opening it in a normal manner, he chose to run through it, breaking it apart without a second thought. We both ran out and were about to jump onto the rooftop nearby, but he stopped as he spotted two archers aiming their bows and arrows at us. Cursing under his breath, he pulled me close to him, causing me to wrap my arms around his neck, and jumped over the ledge of the balcony, landing on the streets below. After getting to my feet, I turned around to see one of the most gruesome sights in my life.

My eyes widened with shock and my face began to pale. My breath began to hitch itself as I saw Amal's crumpled and lifeless body lying on the floor. Bernard sat next to her body, his tears streaming down his face over the loss of his beloved. Her blood was splattered all over the walls and was already streaming out the door. Her eyes were closed, probably because Bernard had closed them before I appeared. I could see from where I stood that she was pale as a blanket of untouched snow, but it was disturbed by the drops of blood on her face.

Before I could do anything, before I could say anything as I reaction, Altaïr quickly took my arm again and began running, taking me away from the horrifying scene. I was snapped back reality as I quickly followed him, even if he still held onto my arm. I heard the voices of the guards behind us, but we turned a corner by then and continued running. The alarm had gone off and the streets were shouting at the sight running past them. I never looked back, nor did I even think about looking back, for I feared of trying to run back and killing them all. As much as I wanted to go back, I knew that would not be able to. Besides, Altaïr would not let me, as he would not want to lose me to Abel and his men. Still, the thought of returning to fight lingered in my mind, yet I chose to close my eyes as a means of keeping those thoughts out of my mind.

"Stop, Assassin!"

My eyes shot back open and, unfortunately, I accidentally turned my head to look over my shoulder. However, just as I did that, the world suddenly went dark again. The sky turned dark blue, the buildings and civilians a grey-ish shade, while the guards that followed us turned red. Eyes widening, I looked forward and glanced at Altaïr, who was now a blue color instead of red like the other guards. Just as I looked at him, though, I spotted three more red figures up ahead. They appear to be more guards, and I started to realize the color red meant something bad to me; it meant my enemies were the Templar guards chasing after us.

"Altaïr!" I shouted as I looked back up at the blue figure that was my beloved. "There are guards up ahead!"

He looked down at me, staring at me for a second with an expression I could not read, before looking ahead. Realizing that I was correct, he pulled out three small knives before swiftly throwing at them. They all hit the guards directly, causing them to collapse instantly. Before people had time to notice who it was, Altaïr and I quickly ran past the bodies, not caring much as to who saw us anymore.

"Cynthia," he spoke, grabbing my attention. As I looked back at him, everything had returned to normal. All of the colors that were once dark and lifeless had returned to their vibrant state.

"What is it?"

He looked back at me for a moment.

"How did you know those were guards?" He questioned. "I was already able to from a far distance, but so were you. How?"

I blinked before answering, "I saw that...they were some...some sort of red shade, which I think means they are the enemy. But I do not know why it happens."

He stared at me for another moment, eyeing me intently, before looking back forward once again, dropping the matter for now. Without a word, I simply looked back forward as well, wondering what it was that he was thinking of.

Before I knew it, I found myself running through the main gates of Damascus, as we were probably close to it after all of the running we had to do. We immediately ran over to his white stallion, and I was the first to jump on before he followed suit. Before I had any time to look over my shoulder, we were already riding away from the city that I thought would keep me safe for a little while longer. The shouts of the guards were heard, but we were riding much too fast for them to catch us on foot in order to stop us. As we rode up the hill swiftly, I looked back at the lovely city as it shone with unimaginable beauty one last time, knowing that Ada and Bernard were still there, still fighting to protect us from Abel and his men. In my mind, I prayed that nothing would happen to them. In fact, I prayed that nothing happened to Alexandra, who had been taken away by the guards when the fighting had begun. I was worried for Diana's safety as well, as she was still there, though it was unclear as to where she disappeared to in the first place. Nevertheless, I worried about every one of them and prayed that nothing would happen to them in the end. I knew Abel would eventually be stalled long enough for Altaïr and I to escape and head to Acre without them every finding us in the future.

Once we reached the much larger land that was the Kingdom, we started to ride faster than before, ignoring the people that stood in our way but making sure we did not run them over. However, as we were riding with great speed, we suddenly rode past the direction that lead to Acre and started going in a different direction. Confused, I looked back to see the stone sign as it disappeared from view. _Where are we going?_, I thought to myself as I looked up at Altaïr, who had on an intent and serious expression.

"I thought we were going to Acre?" I asked him.

He glanced at me from under his hood.

"We are not," he simply stated as he looked back forward on the road.

My eyes widened before speaking up over the sound of the hooves from the horse.

"What do you mean, 'we are not'?"

"I am taking you to Masyaf," he replied.

I blinked at his words, thoroughly confused by his words.

"Masyaf," I asked. "Why are we going there?"

"It is where the Assassins reside, and it is much safer there than Acre."

"But I cannot go there!" I exclaimed. "Not without your Master's consent! He would never allow it!"

"Then he will have to deal with it for now," His eyes narrowed under his hood, "because I will not let him send you away with that bastard out looking for you."

I stared at Altaïr for a long moment, eyes widened slightly, before a small smile graced my lips. I placed my hand against his own and squeezed it lightly. His words meant he truly loved me, and I could hear it in the tone of his voice. It made me feel that much safer.

Suddenly, the horse abruptly stopped and sent both Altaïr and I flying off the horse and onto our backs. The breath in my lungs was immediately knocked out me, yet I ignored the pain that was inflicted on my body. I quickly sat up and noticed an archer in the distance. My eyes widened; we were caught, and that meant Abel was right on our tails. I looked over at Altaïr, who was also getting to his feet.

"They have found us!" I exclaimed as I stood up. "Abel's not far behind!"

Altaïr looked over at his horse, who had an arrow embedded into it's leg, before returning his gaze to me. He quickly approached me, took my arm and began sprinting once more

"Then we run!" He said as I tried my best to keep up with him, but I began stumbling a bit.

Never in my whole life did I have to run this much in...well, _ever_. Every step I took made my legs hurt even more than before and I felt tired already. Altaïr seemed used to it, as if he had been doing it his whole life. I could not blame him. He had been able to outrun the Templar guards better than I could in a lifetime. Even now, when he was desperate to keep me safe from Abel and the Templars, he still had a huge amount of energy to run as fast as his legs could take him. I, unfortunately, was not as quick as he was on foot, and all ready my legs were starting to ache with pain. However, I was just as desperate to stay away from Abel as he was to keep me away. I did not want to return to the wedding I so perilously tried to escape from. With that in mind, I inhaled deeply and grit my teeth, fighting through the pain that continued to course through my legs, and kept moving. There was no way I was going to go back to him, even if it meant running away from him forever.

Suddenly, as we kept moving, something flew past my head, just barely missing me, and hitting Altaïr's shoulder. When reality hit me, I saw that there was an arrow embedded into his left shoulder. I felt him flinch and grunt in pain, yet he still kept running. He was fighting through the pain, as it did not effect his running Another one came and hit his back, yet he still continued to run. A shiver ran up my spine as I saw another one hit his back, causing me to flinch as he continued running. However, I noticed him begin to slow down all of a sudden. Something was happening to him, something that was causing him to slow down. I started to panic, yet I did not know what to do to help him. Right after the fourth arrow hit him, he collapsed to his knees, bringing me with him and causing me to fall onto my side. Ignoring the pain, I immediately went to his side and tried helped him to his feet.

"Come on, Altaïr! You are much stronger than that," I said, trying to help him walk, but it was no use. As much as he tried to move, he found it difficult to do so. Nevertheless, with my help, he was able to get to his feet and lean against me. "We have to keep moving before-!"

"Before I get here...?"

My eyes widened as my face paled. I knew that voice immediately, and it caused me to freeze in my spot for a moment. Body shaking, I slowly turned my head to see him, the beast that murdered my beloved aunt: Abel. He had a maniacal smile plastered on his face as he eyed me with a look I could not understand nor did I wish to understand. The guards that followed him immediately surrounded us, trapping us. Unconsciously, Altaïr's grip around my shoulders tightened a bit as he continued to lean against me. Thankfully, I had enough energy to hold him. As I stared at the man I refused to call my fiancé, my rage began to boil. My green eyes narrowed as he kept his smile, almost as if he were silently taunting me with his eyes. As I continued to glare at him, he started to laugh at me, making my eyes narrow even further.

"Why do you look so upset, Cynthia?" He questioned in a condescending tone of voice. "You do not appear happy to see me after so long."

I would have retorted, but Altaïr's arm swiftly felt to my waist, wrapped around it, and pulled me into his chest. Then, something cold was pressed against my neck, making me pale. It was the cold metal a blade, his hidden blade. I swallowed hard, but did not try to move. The guards immediately raised their weapons, making sure Altaïr would not try anything funny. Abel, on the other hand, simply stared at the scene before him with a blank stare. Altaïr had some sort of plan, but what it was I had no idea. Nevertheless, I did not try to question him and kept a fearful expression to fool the others, as I knew he would never wish to bring any harm to me.

"If any of you take one step toward us," he hissed, pressing the blade further onto my neck to make a point, "then I will drive my blade into her throat and kill her!"

At those words, I noticed a sly smirk appear on Abel's face before he chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You Assassins really are nothing but a bunch of idiots running around with hidden blades, are you not?" He questioned in a mocking tone. "You do not have the courage to drive that blade through her neck."

"You claim I do not have the courage to kill her," Altaïr retorted, his grip around me tightening, "but it seems you do not know the Assassins very well. You Templars are my enemies, and always have been. Therefore," His arm tightened around me, but not enough to hurt me, "I will not hesitate to finish her off!"

"So then," Abel spoke, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Would you consider Cynthia to be your enemy as well?"

Altaïr hesitated for a long moment. I knew he was caught with that question, even though he knew I was defecting to the Assassin. However, Abel did not know this information, if Altaïr spoke out and said that I was not a Templar, we would be caught.

"Of course I am his enemy, Abel!" I shouted, grabbing his attention immediately. "If I was not his enemy, he would not be standing here sticking a blade to my throat!"

Abel shrugged.

"You have a point, my love," he said, making me shrink back with a disgusted expression over his little pet name. "However, he could be doing this to try and catch us off guard." I growled and said nothing more. I knew I was caught with that question, but he did not seem to care or he did not notice all that much, as he returned his attention back to Altaïr. "Do not think I do not know who you are, Altaïr."

"Every one of should know who I am. I have assassinated many of the Knights Templar by now, enough to send a message throughout the Kingdom."

Abel chuckled at the comment, running a hand through his dark colored hair.

"You do not seem to understand what I mean," he spoke, blinking his innocent looking blue eyes. "What I mean," His smirk grew slightly, "is that I know _everything _about you. I know about your visits to Cynthia in the middle of the night back in Jerusalem. I know about the little escape plan to Damascus you made with her as well." This time, he frowned as he glared at Altaïr. "I even know about the kiss you had with her weeks ago and about how you bedded her as well!"

Altaïr kept his composure, but I could tell he was surprised by the knowledge Abel had given to him. I, too, was shocked to hear him speak those words. How could he have found out? It was impossible for him to know all of that information unless he was there, unless he had heard it from my own lips or from my friends.

Wait...My friends?

"But…how?" Altaïr questioned. "There is no you could have known any of that unless-"

Before he could say anything else to Abel, he cried out in pain. My head turned to look at him as he started to collapse, blood seeping from a freshly opened wound on his back. My eyes widened with shock as he brought me with him, causing me to drop to my knees just like him. I felt his weight slowly slip off me and watched him land on his side. My hands began shaking as I tried to get him back to his feet. He was trying to move as well, but the pain in his back seemed to hurt too much for him to even move his own arm. I began to panic; what was I supposed to do now?

"Altaïr!" I exclaimed, looping my arm with his. "Get up! Get up!"

As I said those words, his body went limp, and his eyes closed. My heart began beating faster and faster as he did not respond to my panicking voice. When my hand grazed against his, I realized he was still warm, and from the way his chest moved up and down, he was breathing. Thankfully, he was unconscious, which gave me a little relief. However, it was not enough. Fear and anxiety began to fill my body as I began shaking him in a futile attempt to wake him.

"He is not going to die, if that is what you are thinking."

My heart stopped as I heard another voice speak, a voice I did not expect to hear, a voice I never expected to hear. I knew who it belonged to, yet I started to think my mind was playing tricks on me. My head slowly turned the direction of the voice, praying that it was, indeed, my mind playing tricks just to be cruel. As I slowly looked up, my eyes widened and my face paled even more. The sun was hitting the person's face just right, giving them a menacing shadow, as they looked down at me with nothing but a blank expression. I felt my heart shatter to pieces at the sight. I felt broken, I felt torn and I felt betrayed.

"W-why…" I murmured to the figure. "Why would you do this…?"

"You kept all of this from me, after everything we have been through," the figure stated, keeping its blank expression. "I am... just returning the favor."

I felt tears well up in my eyes as only one word, one name, escaped my lips;

"Diana..."


	23. The Undesired Betrayal

Diana stared at my dumbfounded expression with her blank one, unmoving as she raised her bloody sword to my neck.

"That's right. It is me." She raised an eyebrow slightly, yet kept her blank stare. "Surprised?"

I felt my breath hitch as I watched her, unsure of what to say to her anymore. _Why_, I wondered. Why would she do this? To us; the people who cared about her, worried about her? How could she go out and tell Abel everything? After everything that we did for her, she decided to pull a stunt like this. Although deep down, I was furious at her for doing such a thing, I could not blame her. She felt betrayed to know at the last minute that we had kept an important secret from her, and she wanted me to know exactly how she felt; betrayed, back-stabbed, deceived. However, although I understood her reason, she had absolutely no right, _no right_, to find the man I was trying to get away from and tell him exactly where I was hiding. That was not just betrayal; to me, it was playing Judas. In my words, it was the worst kind of betrayal anyone could perform, especially against a friend she had known all her life.

"Why would you do this to us, Diana?" I asked her. "After everything we had been through, why would you go searching for Abel just to show me what it feels like to be betrayed?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she were still hurting from the past.

"You think I wanted to go searching for Abel?" She asked, her voice sounding pained. "You think I just wanted to bring him to you in order to prove a point?" She looked away for a moment before looking back, "I should have known you would still make false accusations about me, especially when you did not tell me about Altaïr and the escape plan."

"We were going to tell you," I said. "We never wanted to keep from you for as long as we did! But-!"

"But you believed I would back-stab my own friends and tell someone?" She interrupted, placing the blade closer to my neck. "I would have never done that! _At all! _I would have kept my mouth shut and stayed silent!" She calmed herself, "But no; you and the others refused to tell me, and you chose to keep it a secret from me."

"We were going to tell you, I swear…"

"Your timing was too late!"

"Calm yourself, Diana." Abel cut in, making Diana look at him rather quickly. She lowered her sword back to her side, as if Abel had told her to do so. "Cynthia is not supposed to die, you know? She is getting married, remember?"

Diana did not respond to his words, but instead looked away as my eyes widened with shock.

"What do you mean 'getting married'?" I questioned, looking back at the brute.

He smirked down at me before saying, "The wedding is still on. We simply postponed it until further notice, until we found you. Now here we are, with you in our possession…"

"No!" I snapped at him, gripping Altaïr's limp arm. "I refuse to marry you! I do not love you!"

"I know that," he said. "But I also know that you cannot love this Assassin."

"HE'S NOT JUST 'THIS ASSASSIN', ABEL!" I shouted at him, before hugging Altair's unconscious body. Suddenly, he seemed to become lighter, as if he was holding himself up, yet I paid no mind to it. "He is someone who actually cares, unlike you who only plans to use me and everyone else!" Abel's face turned blank, "He cares and respects the innocent! He love me and does not plan to use me or anyone else." My voice turned menacing "He is _nothing _like you, Abel, and he never will be."

Abel chuckled lightly before speaking.

"I see that you care about him a lot. How..._sweet_."

"A lot more than you," I retorted harshly, seeing through his sarcastic tone of voice.

He simply smiled down at me, knowing I heard the undermining tease.

"I cannot believe you would rather fall for an Assassin than fall for me," he stated. "How disappointing. What would your father think of this?"

"Why I should I care about what my father thinks?" I questioned as he placed a hand on his chin. "He never listened to me when I told him how much of a threat you are to the Kingdom, and I no longer care anymore! He treats me like nothing but a child, and looks down on me as such!"

Abel remained silent at that point as he stared at me for a moment before looking past me, his expression intently thinking of something.

"The Assassins are our enemies," Diana spoke up in a dull tone of voice, making me look over at her. "You should not be with one, but eliminating them. They are only in the way of our plans to create peace."

This time, the rage that had been building up with me started to appear as I glared at her.

"No, we should not be killing them," I told her. "They are the only people who actually protect the people. The Templars only force their laws unto others, and kill those who defy them."

She looked away from me, as if she could not longer look me in the eye.

"You are only saying that because Altaïr is an Assassin," she stated in a calm tone. "If you never met him, then we would not be in this situation."

"I still would have thought that way!" I snapped, the anger slowly seeping out of me through my eyes and through my voice. "Altaïr changed my whole life completely, made me see the errors of the Templar ways! He changed my view on all Assassins, taught me the truth of their ways! They do not kill people for their own amusement; they kill the Templars who truly hurt others in order to bring peace in all things."

"Death does not bring peace, Cynthia." She looked back at me. "It only brings sadness, hatred, and brings more wars and fighting!"

"You actually believe that? That is ridiculous!"

"Of course I believe it. That is what we have been taught all our life."

"Then, you will have to consider me an Assassin," I glared up at her, "because I no longer wish to be a Templar and believe such petty lies! I do not wish to believe the lies they forced into your head!" I looked away from her. "Most importantly, I do not wish to be associated with traitors."

Diana shrunk back a bit, appearing to be hurt by my words, but did not become angered. Instead, she motioned for two of the guards to approach me.

"If that is the case," she spoke in a low tone as she pointed her blade at Altaïr's unconscious body, "that means I will have to eliminate this traitor."

My eyes widened as the two guards took hold of my arms, forcing me to release Altaïr's body. I tried to slip away from their grips, but I could not. They were stronger than me at the moment, and I felt helpless as Diana approached his body, her blade grazing against his robes.

"No, Diana! Don't do it!" I exclaimed. "Please!"

"I have to do this," she responded, gripping the blade tightly in her hand. She looked as if she did not want to, but someone or something was telling her to. "This is how I will get revenge not only for what he did to me, but against you for lying to me!"

I felt my heart begin to shatter even more than before as she raised her sword high above her head.

"NO!" I screamed, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "ALTAÏR, WAKE UP!"

As if on cue, Diana's blade was abruptly deflected by another sword. My eyes widened with shock and a hint of relief. It seemed a miracle was being performed in my eyes, as if God had heard my message and answered it in an instant. Truthfully, it would not be considered one in reality, but just pure luck and perfect timing. Still, a girl could dream.

"I believe when she said she did not wish to be associated with traitors," said Altaïr as he got to his feet, his blade held proudly in on hand, "she was referring to you."

Diana's eyes widened with shock as I pulled myself away from the guards, who were also shocked by the sight. I quickly ran over to him and embrace him, as if I had not seen him in many years. I no longer cared if Abel and the other guards saw me embracing him so lovingly. In fact, I wanted them to see me this way, so they knew just how much he truly meant to me.

"Thank goodness you are alright," I said, a smile grazing my lips for the first time in a long while. He simply placed his hand against my back as a small gesture, while keeping his blade toward Diana, who did not move an inch since he had returned to his feet.

"But how where you able to survive?" She questioned. "There was poison lacing my blade!"

"I cannot fall unconscious that easily, you know." He responded. "Besides, it does not seem you used a strong enough poison to keep me down."

She remained silent at that point and simply looked at us, eyeing with a strange expression on her face. It was almost as if she was saddened, but I could not tell. Then, I soon heard Abel chuckle from behind us, grabbing our attention.

"I am truly sorry to break this lovely reunion between the both of you," he laughed as Altaïr and I looked over at him, "but I am on a bit of a tight schedule today, what with the whole wedding"

"You'll have to pry her from my cold, dead hands," he hissed.

Abel simply smirked at the comment.

"I would not say cold and dead. I would prefer it to be 'cold, chained hands' instead."

My eyes widened at those words.

"You wouldn't dare!" His smirk grew at my paling expression.

"I would," he responded. "Get them."

Before I knew, I had pulled out of Altaïr's embrace and pulled out my sword, cutting down the first guard I saw approach me. Altaïr had done the same in matter of seconds, and all ready we began taking down guards one by one. With every passing second, they slumped to the ground just their comrades before them, and each one was left to bleed to death or they were all ready dead. I cringed as I stabbed another guard in the chest, hearing his cry of pain before kicking him off my sword and moving on to the next one. I hated seeing all of the dead bodies lying around. It made me shutter with anxiety. Although I was used to fighting, it was never to death like it was now. Altaïr knew this information, but there was nothing he could do to help me. Unfortunately, he did not know just how bad it was when it came to seeing multiple, unmoving bodies at one time. Frankly, I did not even know how I would react myself. I never actually got the chance to experience all of this with my own two eyes. I heard rumors of it, bodies piled on one another, and even that made my skin crawl. Seeing it in person, though, would probably make me shiver like a leaf on a windy autumn day.

After stabbing another guard in the chest, I quickly looked over to find Altaïr holding his own with two other guards. Diana was nowhere to be seen, but I did not seem to care all that much. Instead, my eyes soon began scanning the other bodies of the guards. My eyes widened at the sight as I felt my face turn pale. Pools of blood were surrounding the bodies, staining the once vibrant green grass. My heart rate picked up as I took a few steps back, horrified of the crime I had committed. The vivid image of Amal's crumpled body flashed before my eyes, scarring my mind forever.

I felt as if I had killed her and left her body to decay, not Abel; I felt like a ruthless murderer. Then, my eyes narrowed as I inhaled deeply, ignoring the scent of blood entering my nostrils. _No_, I told myself. _I am not a murderer_. I was doing what I needed to do in order to protect myself from Abel's grasp. I killed them because I had to do it, not because I wanted to. This was how an Assassin was to act. They do not kill for sport, they do not kill to show who is better. They kill to defend themselves, to bring peace to the land, to end the tyranny that is the Templars. That was what the Assassins were; that was what I was. I was not a murderer, a killer, an executioner. _I was an Assassin_.

Suddenly, as I felt my confidence build, something grabbed both of my arms, pulled me back, and placed a blade against my throat. I shrieked at the sudden action and tried to break free. However, whoever was holding onto me was much stronger than I was, causing me to panic. His eyes narrowed before he cut down another guard, and then began sprinting over toward me.

"Cynthia!" He exclaimed, before he was unexpectedly tripped by Diana, who had come out of nowhere, with her own blade. It resulted in Altaïr flipping onto his back with a thud.

"I would not recommend moving too much, my dear." I heard Abel whisper into my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. Altaïr would have returned to his feet had it not been for Diana placing her blade to his throat, forcing him to remain in his spot

"Release her, Abel!" He snapped. "Or I will put my blade to your throat!"

"I am sorry, my dear Assassin," Abel spoke in a calm, yet teasing manner as he looked over at the Assassin, "but I cannot do that. After all," He placed his cheek against mine, making me shrink away from him, "she is_my_ fiancé. Therefore, she belongs to me."

"Do not make me laugh!" I hissed. "I no longer belong to you! I belong to Altaïr! I would rather be imprisoned for the rest of my life than to ever be with you!"

Abel chuckled as he placed a kiss against my cheek, making me whimper with disgust.

"A beautiful woman such as yourself," he muttered, "should never be placed in such a horrible place as a prison." He looked over at Altaïr, "An Assassin, on the other hand, would be much better." I gasped before looking up at his menacing gaze.

"Don't you dare!"

"Men," Abel spoke, ignoring my plea, "take the Assassin to Acre along with Ada and Alexandra. And when you have the time, search for that man that escaped in Damascus and imprison him as well. I will deal with them after the wedding."

My eyes widened as I began struggling against his grip once again as they took hold of Altaïr and forced him to his knees. Images of the past flashed before my eyes.

"No! I won't let you!" I shouted at him as he pulled me away from the scene. "I will kill you if you take him away from me again!"

Abel laughed as he pulled on the reins of his black stallion.

"I highly doubt that my dear," he stated. "You are much too afraid of death to even try to kill me."

I growled before shouting, "I will overcome my fear and put _my _blade to _your _throat!"

He forced me onto his black horse before leaping onto it as well.

"We shall see about that, my dear lady."

Before I had a chance to retort, he wrapped his arm around my waist and began riding away. I attempted to jump off, but he was much stronger than me and kept his arm securely around me. I looked back and watched Altaïr disappear into the distance, watching helplessly as he too looked back at me. Tears began streaming down my face as his figure started to disappear from my view.

Once again, I felt my life begin shattering to pieces, feeling that I would never have a second chance at seeing him again. Knowing Abel, he would do everything in his power to keep him away from me forever. No way would he allow me to even think of him anymore. That was what made my heart break more than it should have, more than it had to. He could not do this to me, whether he was my fiancé or not. I could not stay away from Altaïr knowing that something was going to happen to him after the wedding. I feared the bastard was going to kill him once everything was over and done with. In fact, I feared he would kill my friends as well so as to keep me from ever trying to escape again. Losing my friends was hard enough, but to lose them along with Altaïr...I would not be able to bear it.

I closed my eyes and screamed at the top of my lungs, almost as if everything would change even though I knew it was impossible;

"ALTAÏR!"

_**Altaïr's POV**_

"ALTAÏR!"

I watched as Cynthia disappeared from my view. For the first time, I felt helpless. My blade was taken, my hands were bounded, and I was outnumbered. I knew I would be able to take them on fairly easily, but how long would that last? Besides, only God knew just what Abel would do to Cynthia. I clenched my fists. If he did anything to her, anything at all, I would stab him where he stood without hesitation. He may have thought that my beloved belonged to him, but I knew for a fact she did not. She was mine; mine and no one else's, _especially _Abel. It was as I had said before; he would have to pry her from my cold, dead hands if he wanted to even have another chance with her.

I looked over at Diana, who still wore a blank expression as she watched the two disappear from view. After a moment, she lowered her head, auburn hair shielding her blue eyes from view before glancing at me. My eyes narrowed as I began glaring at her, causing her to shrink back a bit before looking away from me.

"Do not glare at me like that...please," she said in a low voice. "It is bad enough that Cynthia is upset with me."

"I should have killed you that day," I hissed, venom etched in my voice. "None of this would have happened if you were dead!"

She did not respond for a long moment before sighing.

"You really think I wanted to do this?" She questioned. "You actually think I wanted to do all of this, bring Abel here to take Cynthia away?"

"Your reasons are quite obvious," I stated. "You wanted to show her how it felt to be betrayed by the people you care about."

She shook her head before looking back at me, her eyes filled with something I did not understand, before speaking.

"You are wrong, Altaïr. You are absolutely wrong."

"How can I be wrong when it is clear?"

"Because you do not know what happened that made me speak of Cynthia's whereabouts!"

I stared at her for a long moment, confusion filling my face as she turned away from me.

"What do you mean what happened that made you speak?"

She remained silent as her gaze fell to the ground, as if she were staring at something that made her freeze in her place. When she did not respond to my question, I followed her gaze toward the floor in the hopes of figuring out what it was that she was looking at. My eyes widened slightly as I realized what it was just as she approached it and picked it up off the ground: the item she picked up was the rose she had given to Cynthia before everything went to hell. It appeared to be in mint condition despite all of the running they had done throughout the city and in the Kingdom. The note was still attached to the stem, unscathed and in perfect condition. It had fallen out of Cynthia's sash during battle; at least that was what I assumed in the first place. However, I was unsure.

Diana brushed off the little dirt that had fallen upon the bright red petals, her touch as delicate as a feather. At that point, her hands began shaking as well as the rest of her body. She appeared to be...greatly upset by the sight of the flower. Clearly, she knew Cynthia was unable to read the note that was attached to it before she had been taken away. Unbeknownst to me, it appeared she wanted her to read it first before Abel arrived to take her away. _But why_, I wondered._Why would Diana want Cynthia to read it before then? _Was it truly important for her to see what it had said? If so, it made me wonder; what exactly did the note say?

As if reading my thoughts, Diana looked back at me, holding the rose close to her heart as if it truly meant something to her. After looking me in the eye, she slowly approached me, opening the note in the process, before stopping in front of me. Watching me for a moment, she sighed and slowly moved the note so I was able to read it with my own two eyes.

"There was a reason," she whispered as I scanned the note, "why I wanted to give this to her as soon as I did."

I scanned the words on it rather quickly before reading through it again after realizing what it just said. Eyes widening slightly, I looked up at her as she slowly closed the note and turned away from me. The words on that little piece of paper stuck to me as she ordered the guards to lift me off the ground. At the point, I did not know what to make of her. I did not know if I should see her as an enemy, or still Cynthia's friend. One thing was for sure, though, one very important detail.

I closed my eyes as I replayed the words in my mind again:

_Cynthia,_

Please forgive me for the pain that I have inflicted upon you, upon our friends, upon your happiness. Please forgive me for the pain that will be inflicted on you, as well, for it is something I did not wish upon you. No matter how upset I ever become, I would never dream of betraying you.

Diana

She sought redemption, forgiveness, from the woman she still called her friend. Although it may not have said it clearly, due to the events that had taken place afterwards, Diana believed Cynthia would have the heart to forgive her had she read it. Diana wanted Cynthia to know that she never meant for any of this to happen. Unfortunately, she never got the redemption she wanted from Cynthia now...and, from my understanding, she probably never will.


	24. Imprisonment

_**That Night...**_

"Alexandra, look!"

"What is it now, Ada...?"

"It is Altaïr!"

There was a short pause before a sudden, "What?"

"Altaïr is here! Get over here and see for yourself if you do not believe me!"

I kept my head low as the guards opened the prison cell that held the familiar, echoing voices of Ada Haksson and Alexandra Benedek. Although I was glad to know they were safe from the Templars, my mind was on other things at the moment. The guards removed the chains clasped to my hands before pushing me inside the cell. Once that was over and done with, they quickly shut the cell door behind them; locking it before exiting silently and leaving us alone. I rubbed my wrists, taking note to the missing hidden blade as well as other assortment of weapons, which had been removed from me just before entering the cell. Clearly, they did not want me to try and escape with everything because they forgot to remove them. Then again it was common sense for them; they feared I would figure a way out of here without really trying. Had I been able to, the first place they would go was to Jerusalem in order to put a stop to the wedding.

Dark eyes narrowed slightly as I clenched my fists, remembering that bastard of a man taking away Cynthia as abruptly as he did. No doubt I would end him once and for all when the opportunity arose. The only regret that I held was not ending him sooner; if only I had taken the chance to search for and kill him back in Damascus, then maybe none of us would be here trapped like dogs in a cage. If only I had taken Cynthia to Masyaf sooner, we would be safer from the Templars. Al Mualim, surely, would not be happy to see her alive, but he would have to accept the fact that Cynthia was innocent, and Abel was the man to kill not her. Unfortunately, Cynthia did not want to lose me again, especially after what had happened before – having been held captive by Abel and his men, she did not want to risk that. She feared I would be taken away from her again, and I would never be able to see her. Her assumption, however, had the opposite effect, thanks to Diana, who brought Abel here in the first place after opening her mouth.

At the thought of the Frenchwoman, my fists slowly unclenched themselves and I just stared at the open palms. _She...is truly one of the most confusing women I have ever met in my life_, I told myself. She had told Abel where Cynthia was, exposed her to the man they all despised, yet the look on her face, the sound of her voice, made it seem as if she did not _want _to do it. Even if she did not want to from the start, how would Abel have gotten the information out of her? Bribery? Cynthia told me the Frenchwoman was not a fan of accepting bribes. Threatening? I was told she could come up with threats that would make a grown man cry. There were other possibilities, but an excuse to go with it. Yet despite that, I would not be surprised if he did something..._drastic_, enough for the auburn haired woman to actually expose the whereabouts of her friends.

My eyes narrowed with wonder. _Was that the reason, _I thought, _that__ she wrote that note to Cynthia, one that she so desperately wanted her to see, because she felt ashamed for what happened (or in that case what was going to happen)? _Did she want Cynthia to see it, so she would know that Diana had no intentions of saying anything to Abel from the start? It was a question gone unanswered, and I feared it would remain that way for good.

"Altaïr..." I looked up to find Ada had approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

It was at that point that I was given the opportunity to gaze at my near-barren surroundings. The cell was a bit dark; giving me the impression that nighttime had arrived. The only light that was showing had come from the moon, which aided my vision considerably well. Glancing at the old brick walls, I noticed several patches of blood staining them. Chains, also, lined the walls, and were splattered with blood. It was clear to me that the people that were previously here before us most likely did not survive for long due to torture. My eyes narrowed as I glared at the bloody chains. We did not need to be chained, as Abel was going to finish us off after his wedding. _Whenever _it was.

"Altaïr?" I looked back at Ada, who's worried expression looked up at me and wondering why I was not responding to her. After another moment, I looked away from her.

"Diana told Abel our location," I stated in a grim voice. Ada, eyes widening, took a few steps back, shock filling her features over the news of Diana's betrayal.

"What did you say?" Alexandra spoke up, her voice slowly becoming one of seething anger.

"That was how Abel came to be Damascus," I continued, "and found us as quickly as he did." She would have punched something based on the look that had appeared on her lightly tanned face, but she held it back and simply ran her hands roughly through her dark hair while turning away from me.

"I am going to kill that low-life..." She muttered in a menacing tone. "I swear I will!"

Ada glanced at Alexandra for a moment before looking at me and muttering, "What about Cynthia? Is she alright?" I felt my heart shatter even more at the sound of Cynthia's name, causing me to lower my head even further. It took me a moment to look back at her and answer grimly.

"Abel took her." Ada gasped and Alexandra turned back to me. "According to Abel, the wedding was postponed until she was found."

"That bastard!" Ada exclaimed. "How could he do that?"

"Did you at least try to save her?" Alexandra questioned in a low tone, approaching me at a slow pace. It was clear she was trying to stay calm.

"I tried, but I was caught off guard by Diana…"

Ada lowered her head slightly as Alexandra turned away from us again, sighing; crossing her arms over her chest. Looking back up at me, Ada placed a hand on my shoulder before speaking in a small voice.

"I am so sorry, Altaïr…"

I sighed before sauntering past the Swedish woman and over to the closest wall; one that was not covered in blood, before turning around and leaning against it.

"There was nothing I _could _do," I responded, taking off my hood with a sigh. "I was so busy with the guards, trying to defend myself, trying to protect Cynthia...that I did not keep my eye on her. I should have, though, I truly should have...but..."

Alexandra sighed and walked over to me, leaning on the wall next to me.

"Altaïr, you cannot blame yourself for this. It is not your fault." She looked away from me and looked at the ceiling where the moon shined brightly in the middle of the room. "I know whose fault it is. It is Diana's fault and hers alone. She was the one who caused all of these problems because she could not keep her mouth shut!"

I looked at her before speaking, "You cannot put all of the blame on her."

She looked over at me, surprised that I was defending the woman who betrayed us all.

"How could you defend her?" She questioned harshly. "After everything that she has done to us! After causing Cynthia to be taken away from us! From you!"

"I know, I know...but..." I paused for thought as I looked up at the ceiling, staring silently at the dim rays. "The way she spoke to her...the way she spoke to me... It sounded as if she did not want any of this to happen at all. As if she did not want to expose us in the first place."

Alexandra rolled her eyes and looked away from me, "And how do you know that?"

"The note..." The gazes of both women fell upon me. "The note that was tied to the rose Diana gave to Cynthia. She never got a chance to read it, and it greatly upset Diana." I looked at the two. "Before making our way here, she showed me the contents of it."

Ada slowly approached me as she asked in a timid tone, "What did it say, Altaïr?" It took me a moment to remember what exactly the note said word for word, and I closed my eyes as if I were looking at it once again.

"_Cynthia_," I started. "_Please forgive me for the pain that I have inflicted upon you, upon our friends, upon your happiness. Please forgive me for the pain that will be inflicted on you, as well, for it is something I did not wish upon you. No matter how upset I ever become, I would never dream of betraying you._" I reopened my eyes. "_Diana._"

Both women stared at me for a long moment, watching me as I looked back up at the rays of the moonlight entering the dull and almost sickening room. It was clear they were surprised by the words Diana had wanted Cynthia to see before everything went straight to hell. They probably thought the same thing that I had before arriving here: Diana wanted to make amends, earn forgiveness from Cynthia, before Abel arrived and ruined everything. She wanted Cynthia to know that, although she had brought Abel here and spoke of their whereabouts, it was completely unintentional from the start. She would never want to lose Cynthia to Abel; she did not want to lose any of her friends to that man. Unfortunately, Cynthia would never know get the chance to hear that. She would never know how guilty, how ashamed Diana felt, about everything.

However, one single thought crossed my mind: _Did she mean every word she wrote or was it a means of making her feel even more betrayed than before?_

"I do not believe it," stated Alexandra just before the silence set in completely, her voice low with shock and disbelief. "Diana knew it was going to happen, that Abel was going to come and take Cynthia away, but...but she wanted her to know how sorry she was for doing it...and that she had no intentions of it."

I looked at her, muttering, "That is what I believe."

"But," Ada spoke up, running a hand through her light brown hair, "if that is the case, why would she help Abel in Cynthia's kidnapping?"

"Force." Ada and I looked at Alexandra, who had crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "She was probably forced to do it. At least, that is what I believe anyway."

"How could she have been forced to do it?" Ada questioned. "Diana is a very strong individual, physically and mentally."

"Abel does have means of torture," I answered. "I know from experience, though I am not sure what kind of torture he would use against her."

"Still, Diana is strong," Ada pointed out. "She knows how to defend herself."

"Whatever the case may be," Alexandra said as she pushed herself off the wall and took a few steps forward, "Cynthia is gone, stolen and forced back into her wedding."

"We just need to keep our hopes up," Ada stated, turning to look at her. "This wedding was never meant to be. We all know it. Soon, we will be able to get out of here, save Cynthia," She looked at me, "and bring her back to you."

"Yes." Alexandra turned back to me, a triumphant smile on her face. "You and Cynthia...I can tell that you two were meant for each other." She shrugged and ran a hand through her hair. "I may not be that big on the whole 'fate and destiny' idea, but I know love is when I see it."

Ada laughed a bit as she looked back at her Hungarian comrade with a small smile.

'

"You talk as if you know what it feels like."

Alexandra shrugged absently.

"I _don't _know what it feels like," she replied honestly, "but after seeing Altaïr and Cynthia...I have a pretty good idea as to what it is like now."

A small smile graced my lips as I lowered my head slightly and closed my eyes.

"That is very thoughtful of you to think that way..."

Ada approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder, smiling warmly at me.

"It is because what you have is real." She said. "The love you have for one another is not just some come-and-go feeling. It is permanent, set-in-stone, made for eternity. No matter what anyone says about you being on different sides of the war, it does not matter." She placed her other hand on my shoulder. "What matters is that the both of you are happy together. Now and always."

I blinked as I looked back at Ada, replaying her words in my mind several times. She was right in every aspect. The love I held for Cynthia was, without a doubt in my mind, more real than anything I had ever felt in the past. Also, it truly did not matter who or what we were to everyone else, but it mattered who we were to one another; people, human beings. No one else in the world who judged us mattered; only the fact that we were together and happy mattered only to us and the people who had enough heart to support it. It was the only thing that truly kept us going in the end. Even though we were not together at the present moment, somewhere deep inside me told me I was going to be with her again. Abel was going to die, and I would finally be able to take her away from everything, where she would never have to look back and return to the people who had lied to her all this time.

After a long moment, I slowly looked at my hands, blinking a few times as I stared at them intently. Then, I began imagining Cynthia's soft hands slowly slipping into my own, gripping them in a loving manner. They felt warm to the touch, and warmed my soul in an instant. After slowly enclosing my own hands with hers, I looked up a bit; only find her standing in front of me. Her beautiful smile, her mesmerizing forest green eyes, and short brown hair vividly appeared before my eyes, making it seem as if she were actually standing there with me, comforting me, and giving me hope. I felt my eyes narrow with pain; the pain of not seeing her and the pain of guilt; guilt for not protecting her when I should have, guilt for allowing her to be taken away from me, guilt for not killing off Abel when I had the chance. I wanted to see her face again, not some figment of my imagination, for it was nothing compared to the real the thing. Unfortunately, I did not know when we would be leaving here. Nevertheless, I prayed our escape would come swiftly so that I may be able to find her and bring her back to me, back into my arms where she truly belongs.

I closed my eyes again for a moment before reopening them, only to find that her image had disappeared. Heaving a heavy sigh, I looked back up at the moon and stars, wishing for a miracle. A miracle to see her again...and protect her till my last breath.

_**Cynthia's POV**_

I quietly sat on the bed of my old room, hugging my pillow rather tightly as I stared at the wall across from me with a light glare. Memories of today's events continued to replay in my mind, causing tears to continue falling down my cheeks, but at a much slower pace than before. Although I was returned to my room, I refused to see anyone any longer for the rest of the day. Guards were now posted at my door (more _responsible _ones, I should say), along on the roof tops, and on the streets below. Abel wanted to make extra sure that I would not make a run for it again before our wedding, which was now three days from now as he wanted to make sure everything was ready. Until then, he told me I was not allowed to leave my room for any reason whatsoever. However, I was still able to eat, drink, and do other necessities needed in the daily life for a woman.

Just to be safe, he decided to give me a new maid to replace the other one. Apparently, he claimed the previous maid was deemed "unfit" to watch over me, seeing as I had tried to escape from Jerusalem twice – succeeding once – under her care. According to him, he wanted to put in someone who was much more responsible to keep an eye on me, to make sure I would not fall for any other lies I tried to come up with. The maid he had gotten was much older, around my age to say the least, and would actually make an effort to speak to me unlike the other one, who would just come in, take care of anything that I needed, and walked out without another word. However, I was unable to tell what she looked like, since she always came wearing a white hood and a scarf around her lips and nose. The only thing that I was able to see was her eyes, which were a shade of ocean blue. I was not sure as to the reason why she chose to do that, but I had a feeling it had something to do with Abel.

I realized this when he came to drop her off when I returned to my room yesterday evening. She had kept her head low at first and said nothing at all, trying to keep a calm demeanor. Then, when he called up to her to enter the room, I noticed him watching her for a long moment. A split second of recognition filled his blue hues, but it quickly disappeared when he shook his head and left the room, closing the door behind him softly in his wake. I did not really question it at the time, as the maid probably did not notice his gaze at all (that, or she ignored it), so it made me believe he did not affect her nor did it have any importance to me. Then again, it was rare to see any _genuine _emotions from Abel, especially after everything that happened. Yet, I did not want to worry so much about that and kept my mind on other, more important, things.

Blinking once, I slowly looked over at my balcony doors; the ones where Altaïr used to come in through every night before we made our escape from the city weeks ago. Whenever I found myself staring at it, I always imagined him entering the room, a small smile gracing his lips before lifting me out of bed and taking me to our favorite spot to just talk. That was all we ever did; never did I think it would turn into love in just a month. I still remembered every moment I spent with him, and already I felt my heart breaking even further than it already has. It pained me to know I was still marrying Abel; it pained me to know that I realized my feelings for Altaïr a little too late; it pained me to know Altaïr, Ada, and Alexandra had been imprisoned, awaiting their undesired demises.

Gripping the pillow tightly in my hand, I placed my face into it once again, taking in a sharp breath. _No_, I thought. _They will not die_. I will make sure the people know of this tragedy; know that Abel plans to kill innocent people. Although I greatly wished to help them, would the people be willing to help them? Ada and Alexandra were Templars as far as they knew, and Altaïr was an Assassin. Were they really willing to help those whom they could not trust? The Templars had done nothing but bring them unhappiness and treated them poorly, and the Assassins killed Templars, yet many of the citizens considered them heartless murderers. It seemed impossible to help them, causing the hope that was once strong, that was once inside of me, to die down once again.

Sighing with defeat, I closed my eyes for a moment, holding my pillow closer to me. Then, I suddenly began to imagine that Altair was sitting right next to me, his arm wrapped around my waist and pulling me closer to him. At the same time, I felt my head falling on his shoulder, feeling his warm shoulder against my head as he placed his chin atop it. Inhaling, I could smell his scent, the scent of sand and blood. Although it was an odd combination, it had calmed my own soul. In that instant, I felt at ease, peaceful. No longer did I remember the fact that I was brought back to Jerusalem; brought back to marry Abel. In fact, I felt as if I was no longer in Jerusalem, but in Masyaf, where Altaïr planned to take me and keep me safe from my fiancé. I felt happy again, safe again, knowing that he was with me, holding me close to him in the same protective manner that I had slowly grown to love so very deeply.

Unfortunately, I opened my eyes too soon, causing everything that I had once felt to disappear. The warmth that had belonged to Altaïr was gone, leaving me alone in the darkness of my room with only the moon as my light. Frowning, I looked back out the window once again and watched the moon again. _He is going to come back to me_, I thought as I fell back onto my bed. _Him, Ada, and Alexandra. They will all be here soon. They will take me away from this place, where Altaïr and I can finally be happy again..._

After a few moments, I closed my eyes again, trying to fall asleep. Before I could, though, I wished for a miracle. A miracle to see him again...and be with him until my dying breath.


	25. Anxiety and Promises

_**The Next Day...**_

_**July 12, 1191**_

The brightness of the sunshine had entered my room much more quickly than I had anticipated last night. Its rays fell upon my skin, warming me up and waking me from my dreamless, restless sleep. My forest green eyes fluttered open, but quickly shut when the sunlight hit my face and blinded me for a moment. Feeling a bit annoyed both at the sunlight and at everything around me, I turned to lie on my back and stared at the ceiling with nothing but a glare in my eyes. I knew exactly what tomorrow was. Tomorrow was the day I was to be married to Abel. My eyes narrowed even more than before, almost as if I was staring at the bastard of a fiancé. As always, I did not want to go, especially when the man I was to be marrying was going to be standing at the altar waiting for me. After months of asking, Abel was capable of bringing my father here as well, which was very unfortunate seeing as I did not want him to be around. However, I found out from my maid that Robert de Sable and Maria Thorpe were going to be there. As much as I saw them as my mentors during the time that Amal was missing, I did not want them to be there either. I did not want them to see how painful it was for me to even be standing next to him. Instead, I wanted to go in search of Altaïr, Ada, and Alexandra in Acre. Unfortunately, from what I heard from my maid, she heard Abel talk about how he planned to personally eliminate them one by one the day after the wedding.

"He said he wanted to make you watch them suffer," she told me yesterday while combing through my hair, "in order to show you what it meant to betray him."

"I will not let him," I murmured as I glared at my reflection, clenching my fists. "I will not let him hurt Ada, Alexandra, or Altaïr!"

I watched her glance down at me, her blue eyes filled with kindness and a look that seemed...nostalgic?

"This Altaïr person..." She asked, her voice so very sweet and soft, kind of like the feather of a dove. "He is an Assassin, no?"

"Yes." I spoke without hesitation. "He is an Assassin..." My gaze fell to the floor, "as am I."

I sensed a small smile grace her lips from under the cloth-like material.

"It is good you feel so determined to save him along with your friends," she said, "but you should know this: Love can make a person do the craziest things in life."

"And you should know this, my dear maid?" I wondered as I looked up at her, a smirk gracing my lips. "Falling for him, with the circumstances as they are, should be crazy enough to consider me a madman." I thought my words through for a moment, before speaking in a sheepish tone, "Or, eh, a madwoman, I should say."

The maid giggled and said, "If you do get the chance to save him and your friends, try not to do anything that will cost you your life."

Smiling lightly at the memory, I threw the covers off of me, and groggily got out of bed. The sun's rays continued to blind me for a moment, but I soon got used to it. I slowly turned my head to notice something familiar on my dresser, something that I dreaded seeing. Frowning, I realized immediately what it was: my wedding dress, one Abel had picked out for me. Sighing, I walked over to it to examine the details of the material much more carefully. When I did, I realized it was nothing in comparison to what Abel had gotten for me. It was a nice dress, beautiful at that. It had short sleeves and covered my breasts rather well, unlike the one Abel had gotten for me, which was much more revealing than this one. I knew it fit my waist and then dropped down to just past my ankles, but not enough for me to go stepping on it. Bows lined the bottom with an appropriate amount of space lining it and was raised just enough to see the lace like material underneath it. Glancing next to it, a small white choker with a diamond set in the middle sat next to it. It had glowed in the sunlight and brought out its beauty, yet a smile did not grace my lips. Although I admitted the outfit truly looked beautiful, I was not happy at all. Knowing that I would be forced to wear it for Abel did not make me happy at all.

"I made that dress especially for you."

Blinking once, I glanced up at my mirror, spotting the very man that was invited to my wedding. _Maybe that is why I am not happy about this dress_, I thought as I turned around completely to see my own father, who had a big smile on his face. His attire was all white just for the occasion, and he appeared proud. Proud to know his daughter was growing up. Obviously, this was really big for him, yet it was not that big for me.

I sighed and looked back at the dress, no longer wishing to look at my own father, before speaking bluntly, "It...looks beautiful…"

I heard his footsteps come towards me and stopped right next to me, placing a fatherly hand on my shoulder. Even though I knew it was him, it did not feel right; it did not feel as if he was my father at all. In fact, it felt as if I did not know the man at all, as if he were a complete stranger to me. When Bernard placed a hand on my shoulder weeks ago, it felt real. It felt as if he were my father and not Richard. Of course, I knew that was impossible. He was with Amal even before my mother's death, and would never try to sleep with my mother for any reason. _He was always faithful_, said Amal with a gentle and loving smile when I asked about him, _no matter what kind of tomfoolery your mother tried to pull._

"Just like my beautiful daughter," said Richard, breaking me from my chain of thought. For once, I felt a small smile tug at the end of my lips for a fraction of a second, before it disappeared instantly.

"Father…" I started. I soon felt his gaze on me, so I continued. "I do not want to marry him. Please stop this wedding not just for the sake of your daughter's happiness, but for the safety and protection of this Kingdom."

I heard him sigh at my words, having heard this all before in the past.

"Lord Abel is a great man, Cynthia." He responded. "He proved it to me on numerous occasions."

I rolled my eyes as I walked over toward the balcony.

"No, he is not," I retorted. "He is not the man you think he is, Father. He is selfish, greedy, and only cares about what he gets out of life. Whether it be money, recognition, glory, that is all he cares about." I turned to look at him. "He is a careless man, and will treat me like a beggar and have any who oppose him killed by tomorrow morning."

He turned to look at me completely, giving me his undivided attention.

"I do not understand," he said as slowly made his way toward me. "You thought he was a great man in the beginning, but then all of this started to come up."

"I _did _think he was a great man," I responded in an honest tone, leaning against the wall as I stared out at the city, "until weeks later. He told me that he hated me, and did not care about me nor did he care about the people of the Kingdom. He even went as far as to say no one in this city mattered to him!"

"You are worrying too much, Cynthia."

I turned to him, a shocked and angered expression written on my face.

"I have every right to worry about the well-being of myself and my people!" I shouted at him. "These people are what keep the Kingdom alive, and you worry about my happiness, yet you refuse to listen to what I have to say!"

"Calm down, Cynthia-"

"No! I will not calm down, Father!" I interrupted him. "I cannot even look in his direction because I am so disgusted by who he is! Ada and Alexandra think the same thing, as they have seen him act horribly to me! They have seen what he was like with their own two eyes! I do not want a man who will treat not just myself, but everyone else like trash!

"I want someone who cares about me and my people, someone who will do anything to keep them happy and safe from harm." I looked away from my father and stared at a wall. "Abel does not make me happy. He makes me furious to a point where I want to scream. He makes me hate him even more, what with the way he acts so innocently when other people are around." I glowered at him this time, "I told you once before, and I will say it again: I refuse to marry him! I refuse!"

Instead of taking a moment to take in everything that I said, he decided to retort immediately.

"Cynthia, I do not know what you are talking about right now, but you must marry him for the sake of this Kingdom."

My face contorted to one of disbelief.

"Did you even hear a word I said? I told you I refuse! There is nothing you or anyone else can do to change my mind!"

"I do not understand why you hate this man so much," he said as I walked over to my bed and sat down. "I have spoken to Abel many times, and he says many great things about you and respects the Kingdom."

I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away from him.

"That is because you do not know the real side of him, the side I see," I answered. "He is only playing nice because he wants to make a good impression before taking it all out on me!"

He sighed; pinching the bridge of his nose; frustrated, before turning toward my door.

"Look, Cynthia, you will be marrying him tomorrow. Whether you want to or not, you must."

At that point, I got up and turned to watch him walk toward the door, rage building up inside of me.

"You never listen to what I have to say, Father!" I shouted, causing him to stop and turn around.

"Of course I-"

"No! No, you do not!" I countered, interrupting him once again. "You are lying through your teeth and I know it! I have tried telling you months ago that he was a bad man and was unfit to rule the Kingdom, yet you completely ignored me and told me I needed to do this 'for the good of the people'!" I looked away from him. "Yes, I agreed with that he _was _a great man back then, but he changed entirely as time went on! I told you that I did not like him because of all the things he said he would do to both myself and the people of the Kingdom. Knowing you, though, you paid no mind to it. Just like you always did!" My eyes narrowed as I looked back at him. "Amal was right. She always told me that you would never listen to what I had to say, and she was right!"

"Do not bring your aunt into this!" He snapped. "Amal has nothing to do with this!"

"I can bring whoever I want into this conversation! Do not talk down to me as if I am nothing but a child!" I was met with silence on his end. "I am a twenty-three year old woman for Christ's sake! I do not need my father breathing down my neck every single second of the day, telling me what I can and cannot do! I am a grown woman who can make her own decisions for herself! But no, you still think I am a child sent off to marry someone for the Kingdom's future."

My head lowered as I tried to calm my riled nerves. "I am not the little girl I used to be anymore, running around exclaiming 'I am going to get married one day and live happily' anymore!" I looked back at him, confidence filling my body. "I am Cynthia Richard, the woman whose father would not let her decide who she should be with! The daughter of a man who refused to allow her to decide who was truly fit for this Kingdom!"

Silence grew over the both of us as we stared at each other for a long moment. He started at me with a surprised, yet saddened expression, as if he had realized what he had done was wrong. I kept my glare, though, knowing that it was probably a lie. I was so angry with him, so enraged by the fact that he did not want to believe that Abel was, in fact, an evil man. He never believed me for...well, anything, hence the strained relationship I had with him for so long. Even before Abel came into the picture, Richard and I never had a good relationship. He was always busy with his duties as a King while I was left under the care of Maria Thorpe, who taught me everything that I had grown up learning, like sword fighting and standing up for myself.

_Well_, I thought, _I was able to put both of those aspects to good use_. Still, something in my mind told me that I did not have to snap at him the way I did. Yet, I had become so frustrated with his denial to listen to me and his continuous assumption that I just exploded. Nevertheless, it happened, and there was no way I would able to take it back.

After a long moment, I watched him sigh in a defeated manner, as if I had won this argument.

"Cynthia, I...I am sorry," he spoke, his voice low and apologetic. "I am sorry for not listening to you. It's just...I wanted someone to take over the Kingdom all while keeping you happy." He paused, "I promised your mother...that I would make sure you were happy and look over you until the time was right…whatever that meant...but it seems like I failed."

I sighed and turned around, staring out the balcony doors, before crossing my arms.

"I...have nothing else to say to you," was all I had to say to him. It was the only thing I could say to him without scolding him even more. Without a word, he left the room and quietly shut the door behind him. At that point, a single tear rolled down my cheek, a surge of guilt running through my body.

How could I have been so...so cruel to him? He was my father, and only doing what was best for me, yet I only thought of myself and the people around me before thinking of him. I just felt so angry and frustrated with him for not believing me. However, just because I was upset did not mean he had to be scolded as well. The fight was like pouring salt over an all ready opened wound, and pain was something I could not handle. I could not take it anymore, and I needed to let my anger out somehow without putting my fist through a wall and injuring myself. Still, he did not deserve what he got. Silently, I turned around and looked over at the door, wiping away the tears that had fallen down my face. _If only we could fix our relationship_, I thought as I closed my eyes. _If only we could start over..._

Just then, the door had opened once again, making open my eyes again to find that my maid had entered the room. Her eyes appeared a bit calm, yet still held the kindness I was so used to seeing. She gave me a kind smile from under the cloth as she closed the door behind her.

"I heard your argument with your father," she muttered, feeling somewhat guilty and ashamed. "I apologize for listening in. And I am sorry about the relationship between you two."

A small smile graced my lips, trying to put the past behind me.

"Do not feel so upset about it. I do not think it is something I will be able to fix. Besides, I have other things to worry about."

She started to approached me. "Like the wedding?" She questioned. Rolling my eyes, I smiled lightly and nodded.

"_Unfortunately_," I responded as she motioned for me to follow her.

"Well, you should try on the dress, just to be sure that it fits." Without a word, I simply decided to go along with her, not wanting to stress myself out even further than I already had with my father. She helped me slip on the white dress as I put on a look of disgust.

As I had said before, to know I was going to wear it for Abel infuriated me. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could about it now. Richard refused to change his mind on the matter, although it was apparent he had thought about it, and Abel's mind has been set on marrying me since day one. I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror, watching as the maid continued to fix the dress. I felt disgusted; it felt too odd to wear, especially when it was someone who greatly disliked dresses. After she finished making sure the dress was perfect, I slowly picked up the white collar and placed it around my neck, snapping it into place before allowing my arms to fall to my sides. The maid quietly stepped back as I stared at myself in the mirror, lightly glaring at my reflection before looking back at her.

"You look...absolutely stunning," she sighed, smiling warmly. Then, her blue eyes widened slightly before exclaiming, "Oh! I forgot the veil!" She turned around and headed for the door. "I will be right back, Cynthia!"

"Do not worry..." I muttered just as she exited the room. "I am not going anywhere..."

Silence enveloped the room as I turned back around, staring at my reflection once again. Memories of my childhood filled my head, remembering when I put on one of the dresses Amal had specially made for me. I remembered telling her I was a beautiful princess and I was going to marry a man who would love me "forever and ever." However, although my childhood put a small smile on my face, it did not truly make me happy. My imagination of meeting someone who would love me faded away; it got to a point when I just did not want to get married. Fortunately, I knew I had something to look forward to, something I felt I would see again. A genuine smile, now, graced my lips. I knew Altaïr was going to come here. He was going to arrive in Jerusalem and save me. He would take me to Masyaf just as he planned when we escaped from Damascus. Never again would I have to look back at the life that was filled with lies. Never again would I need to worry about marrying someone I did not love. Never again would have to tolerate the Templars' cruel ways, and I would be able to stop them once and for all.

"You look beautiful in that dress, you know."

Jumping, my head looked over toward my balcony at the sound of a new voice. Eyes widening, I recognized the person entering my room as someone I had not seen in a long time.

"Malik?"

Malik chuckled as he approached me.

"I am glad you still remember me, Cynthia. Despite the informal way we had met many weeks ago."

"How could I forget the man who helped me escape the city," I responded, "as well as the man who rescued Altaïr from Abel?"

"I am surprised you are not upset with me for the delayed time before his arrival," he stated, stopping to stand in front of me.

I shook my head, smiling lightly.

"I cannot be mad at you, Malik. You saved him despite knowing what was going on was – or is – wrong. I am eternally grateful for it."

"Speaking of that man," He looked around the room, "where is he? And why is it you have returned to Jerusalem?"

My smile disappeared as I looked at the ground, my heart aching with slight guilt and loneliness.

"Altaïr is in Acre," I explained in a grim tone. "He has been imprisoned along with Ada and Alexandra." I sensed Malik's eyes narrow, but more toward the Templars as they were the cause of it. "Abel had found out where I was and brought me back here. I know he plans to execute them, and there is nothing I can do to stop it."

"How could this have happened?" He questioned.

"I blame myself," I stated. "I was stupid and did not tell my friend Diana of what was going on, and... she came here and told Abel..."

"Do not blame yourself for this," he said, placing only his hand on my shoulder. "It is not your fault."

"But it is," I retorted in a guilty tone of voice. "If had not been for my selfish ways, Diana never would have come here and exposed us..."

"She will pay for betraying you," he growled. "I promise you that much."

I looked back at him with a worried expression.

"Diana is the least of my worries right now, Malik. You have to find Altaïr and bring him back." My eyes narrowed slightly. "My friends, Ada and Alexandra, are with him as well! They were all captured and sent to Acre until after the wedding. Abel plans to execute them as well."

"Ada and Alexandra as well?" He asked. I nodded, making him look away from me. "That man will stop at nothing to make sure you suffer." He looked back at me, squeezing my shoulder comfortingly. "Do not worry. I promise I will bring them back safely. And I promise Altaïr will get you out of all of this."

I smiled as he released my shoulder and turned to approach the balcony.

"Thank you, Malik. It means so much to me that you are doing all of this." I said just as just as he opened the doors. Before he could leave, I quickly took hold of his sleeve. "Wait, Malik!"

He stopped and turned to look down at me. "Yes?"

I looked away from him for a moment, placing my hand against my choker, before looking back up at him.

"When you see Altaïr..." I started, "tell him...tell him I love him, and that I miss him so much."

He smiled and brushed a few strands of my hair out of my face.

"I will. Be sure of that," he said as I closed my eyes as a silent means of thanking him again. When I reopened them, he was gone, leaving me behind with a feeling of hope filling my body.

_It is only a matter of time, _I thought_, _folding my hands in front of my chest_, before we are together again, my love.._


	26. The Assassin's Escape

_**That Afternoon...**_

"Altaïr. Wake up, Altaïr. You can't sleep forever; it's not healthy."

My dark colored eyes slowly began opening, only to spot a blurry figure standing over me and watching me. Whoever it was had to be shaking me a bit in order to wake me, and was successful in doing so. Judging by the sound of the person's feminine yet barely noticeable Hungarian accent, I assumed it was Alexandra who had woken me up from my slumber. Blinking, I looked over toward the middle of the room, noticing the sunlight entering the room, yet the way it entered the room, it had be to be later in the day than just morning. I slowly sat up and stretched a little, cracking the few bones in my back and releasing the tension that had built up over time, before allowing my arms to fall onto my lap.

"Morning already," I spoke; wanting to make sure it was, indeed, the afternoon.

Alexandra, with a small smile, got to her feet and looked toward the light as I had done moments before.

"Actually, I would consider it more to be in the afternoon," she stated, placing her hands on her hips as I lifted my fallen hood to shield my face once again. "We had a long day yesterday, and I wanted to let you have as much sleep as you could. I was the first to wake up, but that was a few hours ago. Ada woke up a few minutes afterwards."

"You slept for quite some time, Altaïr," Ada said. I looked over at her and noticed her standing against the wall furthest away from us. "You must have had a rough day yesterday."

"I think we all did, Altaïr and Cynthia especially," Alexandra said, glancing over at her and placing her hands on her hips. "Rest is something we all needed...but..."

Her head lowered a bit, eyes becoming deep with thought. Something on her face told me something was going to happen soon, very soon. Tomorrow, I supposed, or at least sometime this week. After a long moment, realization entered my mind, making my hands clench, before looking up at Alexandra once again.

"The wedding is tomorrow…is it not?"

Alexandra looked at me, watching me for a long moment, before looking away and answering.

"We...we overheard one of the guards saying that it was, indeed, tomorrow. They also said it would end at noon. When it starts, though...I do not know..."

Silence took over as I got to my feet and leaned against the wall, the ever present tension of Cynthia's wedding clouding our minds as it had before. Minutes seemed to slip away, the tension growing with every second. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, forty minutes, an hour. They all went by at a painstakingly slow pace, making me grow more and more impatient to get out of the prison. Without my weapons, it was pointless to try. Yes, I could have fought my way through with nothing but my bare hands, maybe steal a sword and use that, but how long would that last? I would be able to hold my own, but how long would it take before they would take hold of me and throw me back in the cell? My eyes narrowed even more. _No_, I thought. _That would never happen_. No way in hell would they be able to hold me down. They were weak in comparison to someone who had been training all his life.

From time to time, I watched Alexandra pace the room, clearly trying to keep her mind off the situation, but instead simply leaned against the wall right next to me for a few minutes before repeating the previous actions. She repeated this action several times in the past hour before deciding to sit on the cold floor and hugging her knees to her chest. Although she appeared to have lost all faith in ever escaping, I could see in her eyes that she would not give up until her friend was safe from the Templars' grasp. The same went for Ada, who kept looking up at the sky with a hopeful and determined expression on her face. They both refused to give up hope; they refused to allow themselves to think that Cynthia was going to go through with the wedding to someone who planned to ruin not just her life but others as well. I knew this because I felt the same way. I too, would not allow Abel to take Cynthia for himself only to throw her away and send the Kingdom to hell. Not after the pain he put her through now and what he planned to do to her along with the innocent civilians. I would not allow her to marry him, not while I was still alive and breathing. He was going to die by my blade, no matter what.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door slowly creaking open, grabbing our attention immediately. Then, the sound of footsteps walking in near sync slowly began coming towards us. I stayed where I was, but remained cautious at the same time. The footsteps grew louder, yet I did not dare to move from my spot. Alexandra had been glaring in the direction of the noise already knowing full well who it was, while Ada simply remained in her spot. After a brief moment, three guards appeared and stopped in front of our cell, each one with a hand on the hilts of their blades. They seemed to know what we were capable of even though we were stripped of our weapons.

"What do you want?" Questioned Alexandra. The first man smirked, earning a hardened glare from the Hungarian woman who appeared useless behind bars.

"Relax, woman," he stated, which in turn caused Alexandra to stand up rather quickly and harden her glare. "I have a message from Lord Abel himself," He looked over at me, "to the Assassin."

At that moment, I walked over to the bars of the cells, holding back the urge to grab hold of them.

"What does he want?"

"Do not stab the messenger," he teased, knowing full well that I was weaponless and I could do nothing to hurt him, but that did not mean I could not hurt him with my bare hands. "He wanted to send an apology to you and the others...for not being able to make it to their wedding."

"As if we would want to see that bastard get married off to Cynthia," Alexandra mumbled as the guard continued.

"Also," He chuckled, "he says that Cynthia has become...very happy now that she is marrying him and she no longer cares about you anymore." He raised one hand a bit. "Her words, not mine."

I roughly took hold of the bars, causing them to vibrate a bit, before they even had time to blink. It caused them to flinch back, but they knew they were safe for the time being.

"That lying little coward!" I snapped, gripping the bars of the cell tightly to a point when my knuckles turned white under my gloves. "I know full well that Cynthia would _never _accept that man as her husband! Not after everything he plans to do with both the Kingdom and her!"

"As I said, they were her words not mine." The first guard spoke in a nonchalant tone of voice before continuing. "There is also a message from Diana as well."

It was at that point that Alexandra ran right next to me, anger filling her features, before grabbing hold of the bars as well.

"What the hell does _she_ want?" She snapped angrily, making the guards flinch back once more. "She has no reason to try and speak to us after what she has done!"

"What the hell is with you people?" He questioned. "No need to get mad over something so futile."

The words of the guard were what made the Hungarian snap faster than I knew possible; he had crossed the line. Within just a few seconds, her hands shot out and grabbed hold of the guard's neck, pulling him toward her and making his chest slam into the cell bars. The sound of metal against armor caused the bars to vibrate and echo like the church bells in Acre. Releasing the bars, I took a small step back while the guards behind him unsheathed their weapons, yet did not try to make a move as Alexandra was "powerless" as their expressions clearly said.

"YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY THAT AFTER EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH?" She roared with anger, her grip on his neck tightening even more. "You do not even know what happened to us that made us this way, so upset and angry! Ada and I were taken right off the street by Abel's pathetic men and taken all the way to this prison in Acre, while Altaïr and Cynthia tried to escape to...to Lord knows where! But they were stopped by both Abel and that bastard of a traitor Diana! Cynthia was taken all the way back to Jerusalem, while Altaïr was thrown in the same cell as Ada and I, waiting for Abel to decide our fate! Right now, I am outraged over the fact that my friend is getting married to a heartless bastard! So do not question us as to what is wrong with us, and do not assume that this is nothing more than a futile situation!"

That being said, she released the man and pushed him toward the others standing nearby, causing him to crash into them. As they staggered to keep standing, she walked away from the bars, running her hands through her hair and taking deep breaths. Ada immediately was at her side, trying to calm her down. Glancing over at the guards, I noticed that he was shaken up, but not as bad as I assumed when she had nearly choked the life out of him. After a moment, when the guard caught his breath once again, he stood up straight and cleared his throat, though he appeared a bit winded from before.

"A-alright, all right..." He spoke. "No need to need to shout…" Alexandra gave him a death glare, one that was filled with pure anger. "Moving on. Diana also said she is very sorry for what happened, and that she never meant for it to go this far."

"What a lying little..." Alexandra started, but cut herself in order to keep herself calm. "Anything _else_?"

He shook his head in response, but she did not need to look at him to know what he said.

"Then, I suggest you leave." I hissed, no longer wanting to see or hear from them at that point. The guard said nothing else and simply walked away from us, followed by the other two. When I knew they were out of earshot, I sighed and turned around to Alexandra. "You know, I think you are the first person who has ever frightened me...even if it was for a brief moment."

She smirked slightly, turning to look at me with a mischievous look in her eyes, just as the door opened.

"Good. I hope I did."

Before I could say anything else, a sudden, abrupt thud and cry of pain was heard, making us look over at the strange noises coming from the direction of the guards. Metal clashing against one another sounded for a good few minutes, before more howls of pain. After a few more seconds, the door opened and the sound of footsteps came toward our cell. These, however, were much faster than the others, and sounded very different in comparison. I turned around completely, standing tall and kept my senses high, wondering who exactly it was coming toward us. Alexandra and Ada remained cautious, but did not move from their spots. Instead of another group of guards, though, a group of different, yet familiar people appeared in front of our cell, making my eyes widen with shock as I recognized who exactly it was.

"I guess I should consider you one lucky bastard, Altaïr," said Malik Al-Sayf, his voice straight yet held a bit of mocking tone to it while a few other Assassins stood by his side, "but that is only because we are brothers."

"Malik!" I exclaimed, walking over to the bars. "It's you!"

He looked over me for a moment.

"It looks like you are still in one piece," he spoke as he held up the keys that would open the cell door. "Good, I would not want to explain anything to both the Master and Cynthia."

My hands immediately fell upon the bars at the sound of Cynthia's name, and it caused Alexandra to approach Malik.

"You saw Cynthia?" She quickly questioned, her voice filling with worry. "Is she alright? Please tell me that bastard did not hurt her!"

"She is fine, my friend," he said just as he opened the cell. "Unhappy, but safe." Both Alexandra and I sighed with relief.

"How did you get here so fast, Malik?" Ada asked, getting up off the floor and over to the now-opened cell door. "It usually takes longer to come all the way here instead of how fast you did."

He chuckled at her words as Alexandra, Ada, and I stepped out quickly.

"Horseback, of course. Jerusalem and Acre aren't that far apart, you know. Plus," He smirked, "our horses are very fast on their feet. But we are not here to worry about that." He looked at me. "Altaïr, we have to get the three of you out of here and fast. The guards will notice their unconscious comrades in at least ten minutes. By then, we will be on our way to Jerusalem."

"How long will it take to get there?" I questioned as I made my way out of the prison, the others following close behind.

"If we leave now, we will most likely arrive in early hours of tomorrow morning," Malik said.

Pausing at the door, I quickly scanned the area in search of any other guards, taking note that Malik and the other Assassins that had joined him must have dealt with them fairly easily before coming to rescue us. It would not last though; as I was sure the guards would have heard the fighting.

"That should be enough time," I said out loud, "to reach the wedding before it is over and rescue Cynthia."

With that, we all quickly made our way out of the prison, escaping without spotting any guards nearby. However, just as we made it into the city, the city alarms were raised, signaling that they had discovered that we had escaped. Not wanting to deal with a fight, we all began sprinting out of the city as fast as we could, using the back alleys in order to stay out of sight. There were points when we had to stop in order to allow the guards pass without catching us, but it was only about two times throughout the entire escape. After what felt like hours of running around the city and hiding from guards, we were finally able to run out of the front gates, since the guards that were once posted there had run off in order to search for us.

Not wanting to give them a chance to return to their posts and catch us escaping with our lives, we all ran to the stables to find several horses standing there. Alexandra, Ada, and I were forced to steal three of the horses that were there, while Malik and the other three Assassins had their own. In a matter of seconds, we were already on our way back to Jerusalem, riding as fast and as hard as we could in order to make sure the guards would not be able to catch us. It was possible we had stolen some of their horses in order to make the escape, but at that point, my mind was only set to one thing: saving Cynthia from Abel.

My hands gripped the reins tightly, my eyes narrowing into a hard glare at the thought of the bastard. I had made a promise to Cynthia, a promise that no harm would ever come to her no matter what. That meant staying away from Abel and any, if not all, Templars as well, which she thanked me wholeheartedly for knowing she would feel much safe with me. It was a promise I intended to keep no matter what the cost would be, whether or not it be my own life. Abel was not going to get away with separating us for his sick little amusement. He was going to pay dearly for trying to ruin Cynthia's life even more than before. Hell, he was going to pay for whatever he did to Diana that made her speak about the whereabouts of Cynthia in Damascus as well. He had done enough for one lifetime, and was not going to continue to do so.

_Abel will die_, I thought, sighing heavily. _I swear it..._

"Altaïr." I turned my head slightly to notice Malik riding up from behind on his dark brown stallion.

"What is it?" I asked over the rushing wind colliding with my face.

"I just remembered," he spoke, "Cynthia wanted me to tell you something when I saw you."

Giving him my full attention, I turned my head over to him more.

"Out with it, then, what did she say?" He looked forward for a moment before looking back at me and speaking.

"One thing is for sure: she is very worried about you and the others. The look on her face said it all. She wanted me to tell you that she loves you and she misses you."

I remained silent for a long moment, taking in his words, before a small smile graced my lips. I knew she loved me no matter what Abel tried to say. Abel may have been smart for someone as evil as he was, but that did not mean he was smart enough to fool me. Cynthia would always love me; as conceited as it sounded, it was true. She never would accept Abel as her husband, and would rather be imprisoned or dead than to be his wife. It was only a matter of time before she was truly safe from his grasp, a matter of time before she was truly taken away from all of the danger and brought to Masyaf.

"Thank you, Malik." I said, sending a small nod and a smile in the Dai's direction. He simply nodded as I looked back ahead, my entire being filled with determination and confidence. Now, I was more determined than ever to stop the wedding and save Cynthia.


	27. Wedding Crasher

_**The Next Morning...**_

_**July 13, 1191**_

I slowly peeked out from the side of the archway to observe the surroundings, my forest green eyes trailing over every face and picking out the ones I knew. I took note to the all of the people that were able to arrive for our outdoor wedding, which was conveniently located in the center of Jerusalem. People, both civilian and relatives – some whom I had never met until this very day – were gathering around and taking their respective seats. Those who were unable to retrieve a seat – civilians most likely – simply stood nearby, waiting patiently for the ceremony to begin. The decorations that scatter the outdoor wedding elegantly gave a forest-like feel to it, almost as if we were in a meadow while buildings towered over it. Chatter had risen between people as they conversed between one another, still waiting expectantly for everything to begin. Abel, clad in a black noble attire and his dark hair pushed back elegantly, stood up at the "altar" next to a priest. He was also waiting patiently for the event to begin, but with not the excitement or anticipation that I had once seen. Oddly, my fiancé's head was lowered toward the ground, as if he were pondering something and his mind was elsewhere at the moment. Unfortunately, due to the distance between he and I, I could not tell if it was true or not. However, now was not the time to worrying about him.

Pushing my veil out of my face, I continued to look around, getting a good look at everything. Fortunately, the maid was able to fix my hair, making sure it would not fall into my face at any point in time. She decided to pull it back into a low ponytail with a small bouquet of white roses before moving it past my right shoulder. I silently thanked her for doing so, making a mental note in mind to do so when I saw her next time. Of course, I had to put on my dress once again just like the other day despite the circumstances. Instead of complaining about the pathetic soon-to-be husband, I decided to save my breath. Complaining about how cruel a man Abel was all of the time did not change anything at all nor would it change in the near future. It was only going to make things worse on my part. Fortunately, though, the only sliver of hope that I looked forward to had to be Malik. He had promised ho had promised to bring Altaïr to Jerusalem as fast as he could. That was just two days ago, and yet I could still feel that dab of hope fill my mind, enough to keep me sane for a little while longer. Still, I did feel a little worried for his safety.

Sighing with a bit of defeat, I slowly turned away from it all and looked at the bouquet of white colored roses in my hand, silently praying for things to turn out for the best. _Things...things are going to turn out fine, Cynthia_, I told myself, gripping the bouquet tightly in my hands. _I just need to have faith, just like Amal said. Having faith is important, and it will lead me to great things in life_.

"Cynthia…" Blinking, I slowly glanced over at my father, who had approached me after standing nearby for a good few minutes. He was supposed to walk me down the aisle, but his expression still held guilt. Not wanting to upset myself even further than I already was, I chose to look back at the people that were in their seats. He took that as a sign that I was still upset with him and sighed. "Cynthia, I am...truly sorry that you don't want to go through this. But it is for the good of the Kingdom."

"I have told you time and time again," I spoke in a low tone, refusing to look at him. "Abel is not good for this Kingdom. He will ruin it all for his own selfish desires, and yet you refused to listen to me at all."

He sighed with what sounded like shame before continuing, "Please, have it in your heart to forgive me, your foolish father." He paused. "As much as I want to believe you, I cannot see the man you have spoken of."

"Then you should have come to see me, then I could show you the truth," I replied just as the music as music began playing.

My bridesmaids, which consisted of the maids – my own hand maid included – that had been around to serve my family for years, slowly began walking down the makeshift aisle created for the special occasion. Diana, who was dubbed the maid of honor and ring bearer by Abel himself, was at the front of the line. She was leading the other women of the group, but even at a distance I could tell that her smile was completely fake. Almost as if her mind was on other things at the moment. Sighing, I slowly moved into place, gripping my white roses tightly in my hand, while my father followed suit behind me.

"Forgive me, my dear," he pleaded in a low tone so others would not hear him. I did not look at him nor did I respond. He continued, "I wish there was some way...that I could earn your forgiveness and start over."

"_Stop this..._" I muttered a response to his words. "Stop all of this once and for all, and maybe...I will _consider_ forgiving you."

He remained silent after the suggestion, making my head fall a bit. That was all I needed to know when it came to how much he truly cared for his daughter. It gave me the impression that he was not even going to try to do anything at like I had requested, just like I had anticipated. It only gave me the idea – one that I had known from the start – that he just did not care at all about the happiness that he had sought for his own daughter. Glancing forward in order to remain focused, I noticed the maids, Diana included, had already lined up near the priest; Abel and the priest were waiting for me. Each one had a smile on their face, all except for the auburn haired Frenchwoman, whose smile disappeared as soon as she looked at me. She simply watched me, her eyes filled with something I had never seen before: pain and regret. Green eyes narrowing, I looked away from her. I no longer wished to look at the woman who had betrayed me, who had betrayed her friends after doing what they felt needed to be done in order to stay safe.

As my father and I walked to the center of the aisle, my bridesmaids slowly lined up, with Diana at the front. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, resisting the urge to growl at the pathetic sight. My father did not notice my frustration, which was good enough for me, or he just tried not to worry about it and keep his eyes forward. I, then, sighed as the music started to play. My arm slowly linked with my father's, yet I still refused to look up at him. Instead, I simply decided to look forward, keeping on the façade that I was just as happy as ever to be married. Everyone immediately got to their feet, turning to face us in near unison. Each and everyone wore an excited smile, happy to see that their future was turning for the better – or that was what they thought, anyway. After a moment, my father and I slowly began our trek towards the altar while I quickly faked a smile to the people I knew.

As much as I wanted people to know I did not want to be here, marrying an ungrateful man who had very little sympathy for the people, there was nothing more that I could do now. Unless my father spoke up, unless he called everything off for good, I could not stop it all by myself. Even if I _could_ say no, Abel had a way to convince me: he had my friends, he had Altaïr, and he would use them against me should I refuse to marry him. My father, now, was the only one to stop of this. Yet, even _he_ refused to do anything despite not outwardly saying so. He may have said he was doing what he thought would make me happy in the future, but he did not truly mean it. He still could not see the evil in Abel's heart nor could he see the pain that had overwhelmed me over the fact that not only that I was marrying a man I did not love. As I said, there was nothing I could do to escape it. The only thing I could hope for at the present time...was a miracle. A miracle that Malik would reach my friends in the nick of time. A miracle to see my beloved Altaïr again.

Before I knew what was happening, I soon noticed that my father's arm was gone and I was standing next to Abel by myself, all alone once again. A smile was on my fiancé's face, yet even I knew it was fake. Glaring at him for a brief moment, I chose to look away, only to find myself looking at Diana's apologetic expression staring at me. She seemed to be trying to send me some sort of message, but I did not want to hear it. Now, I glared over at her, mouthing a small "Traitor" in her direction. She reacted by lowering her head and looking away from me, the guilt once again playing on her features. Instead of glaring at her for any longer, I looked away from her, staring at the ground in front of me instead of anything else.

"You seem...distracted, Cynthia." I slowly glanced up at Abel, who simply smiled as the priest started to speak. Obviously, he did not notice him speaking to me, or he did not mind at all.

Instead of glaring at him, I simply looked at him.

"You could say that," I told him back in a whisper. "Then again, you just say that I don't want to be here...standing with you…"

He chuckled quietly at my words, but said nothing more on the matter and leaving me to my own thoughts. As the wedding went on, I began thinking to myself, things I did not want to start thinking about. Was Malik alright by himself? Was he able to make it to Acre in time to save the others and bring them here before the start of the wedding? What about Ada and Alexandra? And Altaïr? Were they alright as well? Were they hurt in someway by the guards that were ordered to watch over them? Worry and anxiety began to fill my body at the negative thoughts filling my mind, yet I could not run away and search for them. No matter how badly I wanted to do so, I was stuck here dealing with my own wedding. By now, I assumed he could have reached them and returned. Three days had passed since I last saw him, so it was no impossible. Still, the thought remained; were they able to successfully escape with their lives?

As everyone in the crowd took their seats, the priest started to make a speech about the "blossoming romance" between Abel and I. I glanced at my fiancé, whose gaze was on the priest himself. He did not seem to notice my distracted mind again, which was good on my part. I did not want him noticing that my mind was in another place other than the wedding. I did not want him realizing that my mind was, once again, on Altaïr. Unfortunately, I started to believe that he was a lot smarter than I had anticipated.

"Cynthia, my dear, what's on your mind?" Abel spoke up, his voice still low.

I shivered as I realized just how close he was to me, but glared at him nonetheless.

"Nothing is...on my mind, Abel," I whispered back, faking a small smile just in case anyone was looking at us. "I am...just forgetting what to do next is all."

He frowned, knowing full well that I was lying through my teeth, yet put on his fake smile before taking my hand.

"You are lying again~," he whispered in my ear, sending another shiver through my body. "You are thinking of Altaïr again, are you not?"

I clenched my teeth, but kept my fake smile.

"You must be some sort of mind reader."

"It was not that difficult to figure out, my dear," he stated. "Why else would you thinking about the man you slept with, since you were so eager to be with him?" He chuckled as I struggled to keep my smile. "Maybe it is because you enjoyed it so much you want more."

"Maybe it is because I love him more than you could ever love a woman in any lifetime!" I retorted, keeping my voice low.

His smile disappeared frowned at my words, appearing to have been hurt. He was silent for a long moment, which inadvertently caused me to look at him.

"You do realize," he slowly spoke, "that he _will_ die before your very eyes if you do not say yes at the altar?"

My eyes widened before turning into a hard glare.

"If you dare lay a hand on him, I will kill you where you stand!"

His evil smile returned to his face as he continued, "I will be sure to drive my blade through his heart, while you stand there watching helplessly as he dies before your eyes."

"I won't let you!" I hissed angrily. "I will easily kill you before you even have a chance to unsheathe your blade!"

"Then, I will have the guards hold you back."

"Then, I will break free of their grip, kill them, and then kill you!"

"You will be too poisoned to even try to move."

"Then, I will not take it!"

"Who said anything about giving you that option?"

I glared at him harshly before looking away from him, muttering a small "Bastard..." in his direction. It caused him to chuckle in response, knowing he had won the minor dispute, before it grew silent between us. After the small exchange between Abel and I, the priest finished speaking before bring us back up to the altar. Swallowing hard, I slowly got to my feet and did as I was told, Abel following close behind while holding onto my hand. My heart rate began rising at a very dramatic pace, beads of sweat running down my face. With every step I took, my heart started to beat faster and faster. I felt my chest beginning to hurt as we stopped in front of the priest, almost to a point when it would burst out of me.

_Where is Malik?_ I thought to myself. _Where is Ada and Alexandra? Where is Altaïr?_

The priest began saying a few words before the main event began, one I had dreaded for as long as I could remember. I felt Abel's gaze on me for a brief moment, causing me to grip my bouquet of flowers tightly, before it disappeared. It was a look of warning, making sure that I would make the right move and not mess it all up. If I did, it would mean that I would never see Altaïr again. Abel would have him killed immediately. After a moment of silence, I watched as the priest looked over at Abel, a kind expression on his face as he spoke.

"Do you, Lord Abel," He bowed his head out of respect before continuing,"take Lady Cynthia to be your lawfully, wedded wife? For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I do," Abel responded triumphantly, giving me a quick glance and a quick smile before looking back forward once again.

The priest, then, looked over at me with the same kind expression he gave Abel. Unlike my fiancé's, his was real, genuine, and filled with so much kindness.

"And do you, Lady Cynthia," He bowed his head again, "take Lord Abel to be your lawfully, wedded husband? For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

At that point, my throat ran dry and my breathing hitched. I became silent as the tension rose, the tension of making such a serious decision. Everything around me seemed to turn dead silent as everyone's eyes, Abel included, looked at me. Glancing at Abel, I noticed him giving me that "I'm warning you" expression hidden in his kind blue eyes. Silently, I looked down at the ground, my mind wracking itself for an answer, one that would decide the fate of both my life and Altaïr's life. If I said yes, Altaïr would live on, something I desperately wanted. However, Abel would make sure I would never be able to see him again. If I refused, Abel would kill Altaïr right before my very eyes, ending what happiness I had left, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. My head lowered even more, my head aching with the thoughts. I did not want to see the man I loved be taken away from me by the claws of death, yet I did not want to know that I was never going to see him again. It was a hard decision, a decision I felt I could not make. What was I going to do?

After what felt like my many hours of waiting, I inhaled deeply before letting out a shaky, uncertain breath. I had to give an answer soon, or people would start to worry about my strange silence.

"I…" I slowly started hesitantly, the grip on the bouquet tight to a point where it would have broken skin hand I not been holding them, before closing my eyes in defeat. "I...I do."

Abel closed his blue eyes at my words, seeming to be satisfied that there would be no bloodshed on this day or in the near future. I, on the other hand, slowly lowered my head in shame, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. I could not take the risk that I would forever lose Altaïr to Abel if I said no; I just could not do it. If I did, I would be forever remorseful, knowing well that it would have been my fault that he was gone. At least, I would have a moderately clear conscious, knowing that he would live on. However, one question linger in my mind: what would he do when he found out that he would have to live on without me in his life, that I was married to Abel and unable to see him ever again or risk losing him? It would mentally kill him as it was killing me at that very moment. However, if marrying Abel was the only way to keep him alive, to keep him safe for a little while longer, then I had no choice but to say yes. I did what I believed was the best for everyone. But was it really worth it in the end?

Nodding, the priest spoke up, "By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife." He smiled at us. "You may now kiss the bride."

The moment the priest spoke those few simple words, Abel suddenly cried out in pain. I watched as he dropped to his knees in a matter of seconds, gripping his shoulder and gritting his teeth in pain. Gasps and shrieks of terror flooded the area at the sight, while I looked down at him, wondering what was going on and why he cried out the way he did. What I saw made my heart stop in an instant and freeze like ice; his shoulder was bleeding profusely, staining his dark clothes with scarlet. A small knife was embedded into it, a knife that looked very, _very_ familiar to my own eyes. Forest green orbs widened as my jaw dropped with utter shock. I took a few steps back, dropping my bouquet of roses, just as realization began to flood my mind. I recognized what the knife was and who it could have belonged to. In order to confirm my theory and assumption, an all too familiar voice rang out from high above.

"I am no expert with marriages," the voice spoke, making me look up toward the sky, "but I do believe you forgot to ask if anyone had any objections to this."

My eyes widened as I noticed a tall, dark figure looming over the scene that stood before him. Robes, as white as snow, blew against in the wind, and a blade held tightly in his hands. My eyes would not leave that familiar figure that stood on the building, even as he jumped off and landed directly into the aisle. His robes danced gracefully behind him, mimicking that of a swooping eagle flying down to catch its prey, before he slowly stood on his own two feet. He looked tall and filled with pride like a leader, two things that suited him well. The crowd gasped in shock at the sight, while I simply stared at the figure, who had returned his dark gaze. Like his robes, my dress seemed to dance with the wind. Recognizing those eyes without a second thought, a smile, a true, genuine smile, graced my lips before uttering one word, one name:

"Altaïr…"


	28. Friendship in Ruins

Altair smirked with triumph as Abel looked over his injured and bleeding shoulder, spotting the Assassin first before shock filled his pain-stricken features. Guards began to swarm the scene – the same guards hired for the previous wedding. Some of them stood near me in order to protect me, yet I did nothing as a response. Instead, I chose to stand there, while others surrounded the injured man that was my husband. Although I tried to hold them back, only a single tear rolled down my cheek as I watched him slowly begin approaching the altar, a feeling of relief and happiness overwhelmed me. The people that remained at their seats began to speak to one another, wondering what was going on. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see both Robert de Sable and Maria Thorpe on their feet, hands placed against the hilts of their blades as they cautiously watched the Assassin approach the altar, approaching the bride and groom. Said Assassin simply ignored their hardened gazes as he stopped several feet away from Abel and I. His gaze locked onto me for a moment, sending me a reassuring look, before moving to the injured man that was my husband.

"How…how did you get here?" Abel asked him through gritted teeth, pain lacing his voice. "I thought...I thought the guards had locked you and the others away days ago!"

"A good friend of mine was able to help me escape," Altaïr spoke. "It would seem your guards were powerless to stop us from making it here."

I smiled lightly, knowing that it was Malik who saved him and the others just in time and brought them here. Silently outraged, Abel simply growled in response as Altaïr returned his gaze to me once again. A small, barely noticeable smile graced his lips. My heart felt as if it had skipped a beat as he stared at me with those mesmerizing dark eyes of his. I had missed looking into them after what seemed like years.

"You dare crash this wedding, Assassin," Diana spoke up as if she, too, was outraged, but it did not sound as if she was very confident in her words. "You realize that you could be killed for doing something like this?"

"If that is the case," he spoke up, not looking at Diana for even a second, "then you should know this." He pointed up toward the building as he went on. "I did not come here alone."

In an instant, my gaze as well as the gazes of the civilians and guards shot up toward the rooftop that Altaïr once occupied. Green eyes widened with surprise just as gasps arose from the crowd. I immediately spotted the familiar figures of Ada Haksson, Alexandra Benedek, and Malik standing atop the building, standing tall like leaders prepared for war. However, like Altaïr, they too were not the only ones who loomed over us. Surrounding the location and looking over each one of us were at least three dozen Assassins standing tall and with pride. The winds brushed against their robes, and they held their blades tightly in hand. My jaw dropped at the sight before me, utterly surprised and shocked that Altaïr was able to bring this many Assassins along with him. Each and every one of them, with the exception being Ada, Alexandra, and Malik; appeared to look like a group of eagles watching over their prey, waiting patiently before swooping in for the kill.

"That...that is...impossible…" I heard Diana mutter, shocked by the suddenness of their arrival. Abel was speechless, unsure as to what to say on the matter.

"I do apologize, Abel," Alexandra called out as she, Ada, and Malik leapt off the building, "but Ada and I came here to rescue our friend from careless men like yourself."

His eyes narrowed.

"You bastards just don't get it, do you?" He hissed, getting to his feet. "You were all supposed to wait in your cells until I killed you all off! That way no one can stand in the way of my glory!"

The crowd gasped at his words, shocked that the person they looked up to, they praised, would say such a thing to his own "comrades." I smirked, knowing that this was my chance to prove that Abel was not the man they had desired for so long. Taking matters into my own hands before it was too late, I quickly removed the veil that sat atop my head, throwing it to the ground carelessly, before taking a few steps forward.

"Now do you see what kind of man Abel is," I shouted to the crowd, grabbing their attention immediately. They all stared at me, confusion and shock clear on their faces, as I continued, "He had imprisoned my own friends, accused them of false treachery, and threatened to eliminate them! Innocent people behind my back! Behind your backs!" The crowd gasped again, conversing between one another. "He has never cared about anyone else but himself since the day we had met, since the day he was introduced as my fiancé to you! He plans to use this glorious land of ours and destroy it with his unspeakable greed, his excessive pride, and his lust for power!" I paused to allow the startled citizens to take in the information given to them, while Abel's gaze hardened. "I have been trying to tell you all of this from the start, yet you disregarded it all and sided with Abel while he used you and your trust behind your backs! He has lied to you, and making him King will only ruin this land!"

"Enough of this, Cynthia!" Diana exclaimed. "Abel is not the man you think he is! He may not be as great a man as we have made him out to be, but he is not as evil as you think!"

I turned to glare at her, anger building up inside me at her words.

"So says the backstabbing traitor," I hissed, watching her flinch with hurt a bit. "The only reason you say that is because you are much too upset with what happened to trust me anymore!" I paused as I looked away from her. "Besides, we did not do it to hurt you. We did it because we thought it was the right thing to do."

"I understand that now!" She retorted in a pleading tone.

"_Do you?_" Alexandra spoke up, moving past Altaïr and stopping just a few feet from the altar. "Do you understand, Diana? Or are you just saying that because you want to keep us on our good side?"

"I am serious! But..." She trailed off and looked away, almost as if she was looking at someone else.

"But what?" Alexandra shouted. "Out with it!"

Diana remained silent, frozen in her spot for what seemed like forever, before looking at her, and then at me. Her expression had drastically changed in a matter of seconds, and her words greatly affected me.

"I...I do not associate myself with murderers," she spoke in a low voice. Then, she pointed an accusing finger at me. "Especially when the bride is too busy sleeping with one!"

My eyes widened with horror before narrowing with anger. The crowd reacted with gasping, chattering, and raised questions. Each of them were just as shocked and surprised at the words that Diana had spoken as I was. Clenching my fists angrily, I clenched my teeth to resist approaching and hitting her. How dare she speak of something as personal as that, especially in front of people I know, people who have looked up to me and respected me? They saw me as a worthy ruler, a kind-hearted woman, but with Diana speaking of this it would change, as if I were some whore? Even though her words were true, she had absolutely no right to speak of it so openly. And to refer to Altaïr – to refer to us – as murderers when in reality it was untrue had crossed the line. For just a second, I believed she had truly changed. For a split second, I thought she was different. But it was as the back of my mind told me: I was wrong. Now, there was no doubt in my mind. Diana was my enemy, a Templar...and she had to be disposed of once and for all.

"Is it true, Milady?" One of the civilians, an old woman, asked me, her voice filled with worry. "Is what she speaks true?"

Before I had a chance to respond, Diana cut in, though she seemed to hesitate at first.

"Yes! It is all true!" She said. "She claims that she is doing what she feels is right for the Kingdom, when she herself, is the unfaithful one!"

"Enough, Diana!" I shouted. "It is none of their concern!"

"Oh, but it is!" She retorted, her eyes filling to the brim with...regret? "What she has not told you people," She looked at Altaïr, "is that she is telling lies about Abel in order to hide the fact," She pointed at the Assassin, "that she is sleeping with that Assassin, the Assassin named Altaïr Ibn-la'Ahad!"

The crowd reacted with gasps and murmurs. Now, they were devastated over the news of this sudden truth, yet it angered me even further than before. Glancing at Altaïr, I noticed his expression toward her was blank and unchanging, not saying a word to retort to the words she had spoken. Even though she had given away such personal information, he did not look ashamed at all. I growled angrily, no longer accepting Diana's behavior. She was acting like a child and had to be put in her place. I turned to one of the guards closest to me and quickly began approaching him. I tore off the sleeves of the once beautiful dress along the way before stealing his blade. Shock filled his features at my sudden action, but before he had a chance to react or say anything, my fist collided with his face, knocking him into unconsciousness. The crowd reacted with shrieks and gasps over my sudden action, yet I ignored them as I used the blade to cut off part of my dress, changing it to stop at my knees. (Thankfully, I was given the option to not wear uncomfortable shoes for the occasion.)

Turning back to the other guard that was standing nearby, I pulled out the small dagger that was supposed to be securely on his belt while he was distracted with what happened. Turning toward Diana, I swiftly threw the blade at her, just like Altaïr had shown me back in Damascus. Within seconds, the blade embedded itself into her shoulder, causing her to shriek in pain. People shrieked as she fell to her knees, gripping her bleeding shoulder much like Abel. Afterwards, I turned back to the horrified faces of the crowd.

"What she says is true," I shouted calmly. "I have slept with the Assassin. However it was not as constant as Diana has made it out to be." I glared at her for a moment as she watched me, pain filling in her eyes. "It was only once, once and no more. I did it not because I wanted to lie to you like Abel has for so long, but..." I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "...but because... because I am in love with him! And I am not ashamed to say it out loud!"

People began chattering amongst themselves as I continued, "Altair is twice the man Abel will ever be in any lifetime! You may see him," I pointed to Altaïr for a second, "as a murderer, a killer, but that is not true. He does not do it for the pleasure of it, the thrill, but to protect you, the innocent people who are mistreated by others! I love him because he shares the same goals as I do; protect those who are unable to protect themselves. He may not look it, but he just as determined as I am to keep it up, to bring peace where people may be free from those who seek to control!" I looked at Altaïr, finding that he had returned the gaze. "What he is – who he is – does not matter to me, and it never will! I love him with all my heart and soul, knowing that what he does is for the good of the people," I looked over to glare at Diana, who had gotten to her feet, "and I will eliminate anyone who would dark to speak ill of either him or the Assassins!"

With that, my feet began charging toward her, holding the stolen blade tightly in my hand, and swinging it at her with as much strength as I could muster, but at the same swift. Unfortunately, she was able to leap back and dodge it, only giving me the chance to slice the front of her dress with ease. Realizing this, she tore off the rest of the outfit – it stopped at her knees as well – before turning to the guard closest to her and stealing his blade from his sheath. The crowd watched with horror as she turned to face me, gripping her newly acquired blade in hand.

"I do not want to hurt you, Cynthia!" She said, eyes narrowing with what appeared to be guilt. "All of this could have been avoided if you did not fall for him!"

"What choice did I have?" I questioned angrily. "He was sent here by his Master, yet he is forbidden to kill those who are innocent. He has had many opportunities to finish me, but he did not because he knew this fact. Also, he and I shared similar goals of protecting the innocent!" I felt my blade lower slightly as I looked at him, who had his hand on his blade just in case he needed to intervene. "Over time, I slowly started to become close to him, not realizing that I was falling for him at the same time." I looked back to glare at Diana. "How could I not fall for someone who was not only twice the man Abel ever could be but treated me and my people with at least a little respect?"

She glanced away, toward Altaïr I presumed, but looked at me quickly.

"I do not want to fight you Cynthia." She lowered her blade. "We are friends...remember?"

The grip on my blade tightened even more at her words before I muttered.

"You should have thought of that before opening your mouth to Abel."

With that, I dashed toward her again, swinging my blade once again and making an attempt at slicing her. She quickly blocked the attack with ease, parried and pushed it away, before gracefully spinning out of the way as I swung my sword again. Turning to spot her standing nearby, I watched her glance past my shoulder, glare at someone or something, and turned to run away from the wedding. Growling at her cowardice, I quickly began chasing after her before the crowd went into a complete panic, making an attempt at escaping with their lives.

"Cynthia!" My father's voice rang out. "Cynthia, come back!"

As much as I wanted to listen to him, my mind told me to keep chasing down Diana and end her like the traitorous dog she was. The sound of blades crashing against each other was soon heard in the decreasing distance, knowing that a fight had broken out. Yet, I continued to run after the French woman, my legs barely pausing for a breath as I turned a corner in order to keep up with her. Knowing the others fairly well and how capable they were at using their blades, they would be alright on their own. With the amount of guards and Templars that were present, however, it made me wonder. How long would they be able to hang on while I was away? I quickly shook the negative thoughts out of my mind. They are going to be just fine, I told myself as I made another turn, passing by very few civilians along the way. I am sure of it.

After what seemed like an hour, I watched her slide to a stop. She, then, turned her head to find me sprinting to her before quickly running onto the bridge that led into the next district. Picking up the pace, I, too, slid to a stop, but instead of continuing, I noticed her panting form standing on the bridge, facing me and holding her blade tightly in her hand. Her auburn hair, which was held back in a ponytail for the wedding (but due to the running some of it came out), shielded her blue eyes from view even though it was facing the ground. Panting, I slowly raised my blade and pointed it at her.

"So the coward...has stopped running away," I spoke in between breaths. "I suppose that means...you are ready to accept your inevitable fate."

Without a word, she looked at me as she took in deep breaths, her eyes filled with pain and guilt. She was silent as she looked in the direction in which we had just come from before looking back at me.

"Cynthia...listen to me," she spoke up, panting a bit as well. "Everything that is happening...it is all a mistake."

"And why should I listen to you?" I snapped angrily. She flinched as I continued, "You betrayed us, the people who trusted you and were willing to give up our lives for each other! You left the city and brought Abel to Damascus all because you could not take the truth." My eyes narrowed. "I felt guilty for not telling you; truly I was from the bottom of my heart. But when you stood with Abel, like his damned pet, I realized that I should not have felt that way at all."

"No, Cynthia," she cut in, taking a small step toward me. "You should have felt guilty," She lowered her head, "because I felt the same way."

I growled, no longer wanting to hear more of her lies.

"I don't want to hear any more lies from you! You will be silenced for betraying the people who took care of you for so many years!"

Before she had time to react or say anything, I bolted toward her, swinging my sword downward. She was able to deflect the attack, yet I was able to attack once again before she had a chance to move again. Instead of going offensive, she remained on the defense, deflecting and blocking all of the attacks that were thrown at her. Her expression turned frantic, as if she were trying to find a way to push me back and away from her. However, I was not going to stop until I ended her life on the spot, showing her what would happen if she betrayed those who worked so hard and diligently at protecting her. Suddenly, though, while I raised my sword in the air, Diana shut her eyes before swinging her sword, slicing my stomach. I gasped as she, regretfully, kicked my stomach and knocked me onto my back, landing on the ground with a thud. Sliding a bit from the force, I quickly tried to get to my feet, only to find the tip of Diana's blade stopped me short. Green eyes widened for a moment before turned into a death glare at the French woman. Her eyes, though, still held on of guilt and regret, one I did not believe in the least.

"Cynthia, please, give me a chance!" She told me. "Give me a chance to explain everything!"

"No enemy of mine deserves a chance to say anything!" I shouted, taking my blade and clashing it against hers.

Shocked, she did not have enough time to move as I drove my blade through her side. Shrieking a bit, she pulled away, holding her injured side and giving me time to return to my feet.

"If only it was aimed for your heart..." I muttered as I balanced myself.

She stared at the blood seeping from her wound before looking back at me.

"Cynthia, please! I did not mean to tell Abel anything! I swear!"

"Why should I believe anything you say to me right now?" I questioned, charging at her once more and bringing my blade down on her. "So far, you have only given me an incentive to end your life right now!"

Due to her injury, she had a little more difficulty trying to hold me back and defend herself. However, she still had the strength to hold on for a little while longer.

"Because..." She strained to speak due my pressure against her blade. "Because...Abel...he..."

"Out with it if you want to live longer!" I shouted, applying more pressure to the blade. Her next words shocked me to my very core:

"Because Abel raped me! He kept raping me until I spoke of your whereabouts!"

My arms suddenly felt heavier, as if rocks had suddenly fallen on me, as my eyes widened with horror. Diana's eyes shut tightly, holding back tears that had been begging to fall for much too long. The pressure that was once applied to Diana's blade disappeared like the wind as I took several steps back, speechless. Anger and the desire for revenge was replaced entirely with shock and horror as I watched her turn away from me. The tears she tried to hold back slowly began falling down her cheeks, while the tip of her blade fell to the ground.

_Raped? _I thought, unable to comprehend her words. That could not be possible. I knew for a well known fact that Diana was very strong, strong in her sword fighting and strong with words. She could never fall to any kind of torture thrown at her, for she knew how to hold herself true to any secrets that she promised to keep. She was as strong as an ox. However, one fact remained clear: she had never been with another man before. She had never been in bed with another man nor had she ever slept with anyone. The experience, I assumed, was so traumatic it caused her to speak. Watching her shrunken form, one thing crossed my mind: How could Abel do this to her? How could he have gone so far as to rape Diana just so he could find out where I was hiding? It was inhuman, unrealistic, horrifying; so much it frightened me. For so long, I believed that Abel was a brute, but now with the newfound information in mind, I knew for a fact that Abel was a monster, a hell spawn, a demon.

"I...know what you are thinking...Cynthia..." Diana spoke, looking back at me with shameful eyes. "And I want to tell you that you are wrong..."

Disgust filled my face not at her but at her words.

"How could you say that?" I asked her. "After everything that he did to you?"

She looked away from me, trying to find the right words to say, before slowly looking back at me and saying.

"After he raped me...someone came in...and told me something that...that made me see Abel differently, differently from what we had believed for so long..."

"What are you talking about?" I questioned in a low tone. She was about to continue, when the unthinkable happened.

Forest green eyes widened with shock and utter horror as I watched an arrow fly from out of nowhere, piercing Diana's neck. It ran through her cleanly and fluently as if it were still flying through the air. Her blue eyes widened with shock as blood seeped through both openings like a river, dropping her blade and raising her hands toward the arrow sticking out of her neck. Turning my head for a split moment, I spotted an archer in the near distance, his bow aiming toward her. Instead of trying to chase him down and kill him for what he had done, I looked back at Diana and watched as her back collided with the stone railing of the bridge, clawing at her neck in a futile attempt at removing the arrow. However, she did not stop moving and soon found herself falling over the edge. Without thinking anymore, I dropped my blade and tried to run over to grab her, but by then she was already falling backward into the waters below. Thankfully, I was able to take hold of her forearm, but was immediately pulled in with her, plunging into the cold water of the river within seconds.

Thinking fast, I pulled her near limp body toward me, holding tightly, before swimming back up to the surface. Even in the water, her body felt a lot heavier than while on the surface, but I was barely thinking about that. Once I broke through the surface, I gasped for air and quickly swam to the edge, gripping Diana tightly along the way. Her blood began leaving a small trail in the water, yet she was still persistent – although weakened – with pulling the arrow out of her neck. Pulling myself and Diana to the shore, which took me a moment to get out completely, I quickly pulled her away from the edge, dragging her a few feet, before collapsing onto my knees. Panting, I moved her so that her head was lying on my lap. Her blood continued to flow out of her neck, staining the once white gown, yet I no longer cared about that. My mind only focused on the dying woman.

"Diana! Diana, speak to me!" I exclaimed, fearful of touching the arrow as I did not want put her through anymore pain.

She was gasping for breathing, clawing at her neck for what seemed like forever. Knowing what she wanted, I swallowed the lump in my throat and took hold of the arrow head side of the stick, snapping it off and pulling out from the other side. Blood began to pour out of her neck faster than before, which forced me to tear off part of my dress and wrap it around her neck, holding it together.

"Stay with me, Diana! Please!" I exclaimed as the blood began seeping through the once white garment.

"He did not do it...to hurt you..." She spoke, still gasping for breath.

I looked her with curiosity as the warmth of the blood licked at my hands.

"What do you mean?"

She inhaled deeply before continuing.

"It was because of her...She brought him...she brought him so much...so much pain..." - She inhaled again - "Because of her...he...he took out his pain upon others...upon you..."

"Who?" I questioned. "Who are you talking about...?"

"C..." She started, inhaling again in an attempt at staying alive for a little while, before uttering one name, a name I did not believe had any importance to me, "Clarice...Clarice..."

I stared at her for a long moment, still holding the dampened dress particle against her neck, before looking forward, staring at nothing but the buildings as I thought deeply. Clarice? Who was Clarice? I had never heard of someone named Clarice before in my life. However, now that she supposedly played a role in this sick little game, she was someone I had to know. She had something to do with the way Abel treated me and everyone else around him, the reason why he was so selfish and greedy. She was the creator of this chaos, and the only thing I wanted to know was her reason why. Why did she start all of this and for what purpose? I knew that I had never met her before in the past, yet the emotions that were embedded into Abel's mind sprouted from her, from Clarice herself. If she was as bad a threat as I was making her out to be, then she had to be eliminated. Unfortunately, since I did not know her personally or heard of her until today, there was no place to start looking.

Shaking my head, I looked back at Diana, who was turning paler by the minute.

"I...do not know anyone by that name..." I told her, eyes saddening at the sight over the fact that I was losing her.

She nodded once, coughing only once, before speaking.

"I know...I know...but..." She looked me in the eye, "...but she knows who you are..."

I felt my body tense at her words, yet remained silent as she closed eyes, inhaling again.

"You know…I always thought we would be friends forever, Cynthia…" she said, opening her eyes again. "But after everything that has happened, I...I am not surprised by your anger..."

"Diana..." I murmured, yet trailed off.

"As a last request..." She slowly spoke, her blue eyes turning hazy. "Please...have it in your heart to forgive me. I did not...mean to speak of your whereabouts in Damascus. To Abel himself. Honest to God..."

I felt tears well up in my eyes both at her words and the feel of her skin turning cold.

"I should be the one...who is begging for forgiveness, Diana." I said, my throat starting to hurt as I choked back tears. "I should have told you before what was going on, not keep you in the dark for as long as I did."

For once in what seemed like a long time, a smile, though weak and fragile, appeared on her face, before muttering a small, "I had forgiven you at least a day after the argument, but I was unable to tell you...because Abel's guards had kidnapped me and dragged me back to Jerusalem..."

Now, a smile danced across my face as tears started to stream down my cheeks.

"Then rest, Diana, with a clear conscious," I told her, "for you have been forgiven as well."

With that, her smile grew even more as she murmured a small "Thank you..." before closing her blue eyes and exhaling her last breath. Within seconds, she grew limp in my arms, her soul leaving behind the carcass of its prison and up into Heaven. Releasing the pressure that I had applied to her bleeding neck, I sat on my knees, watching her face turn into a pale white as death overcame her. Her body did not move, it did not twitch, it just...lied there lifelessly. She just...died peacefully. More tears began streaming down my face as I gripped my torn dress.

I started to tell myself that her death was my fault, that her blood was on my hands because I was stupid. I started to believe that she had died because of my selfishness to keep her from speaking out. I had refused to say anything to her for fear that she would tell someone when we were not paying any attention, who would in turn tell someone else. Knowing her hatred for the Assassins all too well, she would have done so in a heartbeat. However, it would be in order to keep me safe from harm, since we had known one another for so long. It would not be out of spite of hatred, but protection of the people she cared about. However, I was stupid; stupid for keeping the information away from her and not speaking. In turn, it cost her her life, her dignity, her pride.

That was what I started to tell myself, but it soon transformed into something else. My anger for her demise was now aimed toward the demise of Abel, the man who had started all of the problems, both personally and politically. Rage coursed through my veins as I moved her head to let her lie on the floor. Slowly, I, then, got to my feet, clenching my fists to bleeding point. It was _his _fault that all of this happened, that Diana was killed. It was he who had kidnapped and raped her, not I. It was _he _who forced her into telling of our whereabouts, not I. It was _he _who forced her to do his bidding and make it seem as if she had betrayed me, not I. Inhaling, I wiped away my tears of sadness and looked toward the bridge, spotting my blade lying on the floor. With a newfound motivation, I quickly walked over to it and picked it up, gripping it tightly as I turned around and began walking back to Diana's unmoving body. When I loomed over her once more, I watched her lifeless, blood tinted face for a moment, engraving it in my mind to make sure I would not forget it when I ended Abel's life on the spot.

"I swear, Diana..." I spoke. "Abel will not live to see another day. That is the least I could do so you may at least have your dignity again."

With that, I walked around her body slowly before sprinting back in the direction in which we had come from, the direction of the wedding, the direction of the man who will die this day.


	29. The Bride's Demise

_**Altaïr's POV**_

One by one, the Templar guards collapsed lifelessly on the ground, blood pouring out from their open and fatal wounds on their bodies. The Assassins that were present fought diligently against them, only one or two of them were killed in the process. Richard had long disappeared from the scene, possibly with the help of other guards, yet he was none of my concern. Last I saw of Abel was his own bodyguards standing by his side, trying to help him to his feet yet I did not know what had become of him as my attention was in other places at the moment. I swiftly slashed through another one as he attempted to land a blow on my shoulder, slashing his side and driving my hidden blade into his throat before pushing him onto the ground. Blood spurted from the wound, pooling around him like a pond of water. From what I could tell, the others were able to handle themselves on their own, as the guards were a bit distracted with the civilians trying to run away and avoid being injured or killed, giving us the upper hand in the battle.

I brought my blade down on another guard, deeply cutting into his shoulder and bringing him to his knees before kicking his body off to the side, looking around for any more that would try to attack. As I did that, my dark eyes caught sight of Ada, who was taking on a few guards by herself. Before I had a chance to run over in order to assist her, I suddenly watched as a guard ran up to her, blade swinging. Before he had a chance to hit her, she quickly ducked down, dodging the attack of the guard before impaling him from below with her own blade, flipping him over and making him land on his back. Just as the guard sickeningly slipped off her blade, she swung it downward with all the power should muster onto the guard in front of her, slamming it into his skull and splitting his skull in two. Eyes widened slightly as I watched her kick him away before focusing on the other guards, who were horrified at the sight before sprinting away. I chuckled before looking away in case any other guards came up from behind.

_Ada was going to be fine on her own_, I told myself, _so it's best to just leave her be._

Impaling my hidden blade in the neck of a guard that had, indeed, attempted to attack from behind, my gaze immediately caught sight of an injured looking Alexandra fighting off a few guards. Her shoulder was cut and bleeding profusely, but not enough to completely sever it. Nevertheless, it appeared she was having difficulty trying to hold her own, and the pained expression on her face was clear. Holding my blade tightly in one hand, I quickly ran past the still panicking and dispersing crowd as I made my way toward Alexandra. Along the way, I was able cut down any guards that stood in my way, tripping one and stabbing him in the back before continuing. As I approached the Hungarian woman, she turned her head and spotted me, yet did not have time to acknowledge who it was as she turned back and realized that another guard was rushing to her. Thinking fast, I quickly pulled out a small knife and threw it, watching as it embedded itself into his neck. Alexandra took the opportunity to push him off to the side before looking at me.

"Thank you," she shouted above the noise.

"You're injured!" I called back, taking on another guard and cutting him down easily.

"I'm fine! It is nothing _serious_!" She responded as she brought her blade down on the guard in front of her, knocking him back with a kick to the head. "I will be able to handle myself!"

"Just be sure to stay alive!" I told her. "Cynthia does not want another lost comrade!"

I immediately stabbed a guard in the throat with my blade, kicking him to the ground before running over to see if Ada needed any assistance. As I sprinted through the crowd, though, I suddenly ran into someone I did not expect to run into at this time. Turning around rapidly, my breath hitched with shock as I realized that it was Robert de Sable. He too had noticed me and glared harshly at me.

"_You_," he hissed angrily as the grip on his blade tightened as did mine. "I have been looking everywhere for you, Assassin."

"I could say the same for you, Robert," I retorted. "I have not forgotten Solomon's Temple, nor have I forgotten the attack on Masyaf."

He smirked menacingly.

"Then let us end this, Assassin. Once and for all."

Before I knew it, his sword had connected with mine, applying as much pressure to it as his muscles allowed. Luckily, I was able to push him back before charging in to attack him. He was able block every one of my attacks that were thrown at him, yet I did not try to stop for even a second. This went on for a good few minutes, my frustration growing with every attack I made. Noticing my growing anger and frustration, Robert started to laugh as he kicked me back onto the ground. He immediately tried to stab me, but I quickly rolled out of the way and back onto my feet. Just as I did that, a guard, suddenly, appeared and attempted to injure me, but I was able to spot him and dodge his attack before slicing his throat open with one clean swing.

"Altaïr!" A voice called out, making me turn my head toward Robert.

Before he had time to realize what was happening, I watched Alexandra appear from nowhere and slice Robert's back. He cried out in shock and pain before attempting to attack her, only for her to block his attack and hold him off. "Run, Altaïr! Find Cynthia!" She called out. Nodding quickly, I began running through the crowd once again, determination running through my veins.

"Do not run away from me, coward!" I heard Robert shout, before hearing Alexandra shriek and curse him out loud. Turning my head, I noticed Robert catching up to me, making me realize that I was not going to outrun him with all of these people in the way. Growling, I turned around to face him again, only to block his blade from injuring me.

"I am trying to find Cynthia, Robert," I told him. "You know I would never run away from a fight, but our attention must be focused on her and the man who plans to ruin the Kingdom!"

Robert laughed as his blade clashed against mine again.

"You are so focused on Cynthia's life that it has turned you into a coward!" He said. "And believing her accusations just makes you look like a pathetic little follower!

"We may be enemies, Robert, but you and I both know that her life as well as the life of others is what matters most!" I told him. "You are like a brother to Cynthia, and you are willing to do _anything_ to protect her! Any brother would!"

"You are right about that, Assassin!" He sneered at me, "And that is exactly what I am going to do! I am going to protect her from the likes of you!"

He swiftly attacked again, but this time I was able to dodge it before slicing open his stomach in one fluid motion. He winced in pain, but it did not stop him from cutting my shoulder. I did not even flinch as we continued to fight one another, slashing one another a few times in the process. Splatters of blood flew as we took turns slicing each other open, yet we continued to attack relentlessly. I knew that fighting Robert was imminent, seeing as the window to finish him once and for all was right before my eyes, but when the lives of others – Cynthia included – were at stake, then that meant there were more important things to worry about than him. Besides, he should have been more worried about Abel from the start, not I. Whether we were enemies or not, Abel was a much bigger threat than both the Templars and Assassins combined.

Slicing Robert's chest with one swing, he staggered back, gripping his attire and glaring at me. Suddenly, as I approached him and brought my blade down upon the Templar, another sword appeared and blocked my attack. Turning my head, I realized that it was Maria Thorpe who had blocked the attack and saved the injured Robert from death.

"Do not even think about it, Assassin," she hissed, glaring angrily at me.

I returned the glare as she pushed me back and away from the two.

"I do not have time to fight you both," I told her. "I have to find Cynthia and stop this madness."

"You stay away from her! She has no business with you or the Assassins!" She snapped, the grip on her blade tightening even further. "I will make you pay for brainwashing her with your lies!"

"I did not brainwash her into doing anything!" I retorted, glancing around in case any guard tried to attack from behind – fortunately, the other Assassins were holding most of them off, and the Templars numbers were diminishing. "She did what she did out of her own accord! She did what she felt was the right thing to do, not because I told her it was the right thing to do, the right way to think!"

Her glare hardened before charging at me.

"Enough of your lies! Prepare to die for your crimes!"

I blocked swiftly, parried her attack and sliced her shoulder a bit. She moved back slightly, but I was able to cut her shirt. She growled with anger and attacked again. Robert, soon, appeared to attack, yet I was able to hold him and cut across his chest before returning my attention to Maria. Just before she could land a solid blow, I was able to block it and push her away. Before a large enough distance was between us, I took hold of her and pushed her into Robert, knocking them both to ground. Before they had a chance to return to their feet, I turned and sprinted up the altar, turning to scan the crowds for any of my comrades.

By now, the amount of civilians that had been trying to escape had either run off successfully or were up against the walls of the nearby buildings, trying their best to steer clear of the bloodshed as best they could. My eyes soon caught sight of Ada, who was still holding her own fairly well, joined by Alexandra. The two had simultaneously stabbed the guard they were fighting in the chest before moving on to the next one. Both were nearly drenched in blood, whether it was their own or the blood of their enemies. It was at the point that I realized that it was turning into a bloodbath. Everywhere I looked there was blood pooling on the ground, splattered on the walls and even on the civilians themselves. This was not what we had planned in the beginning; it was just to jump in, kill Abel once and for all, and get Cynthia to safety. Now, everyone was killing each other and spilling one another's blood.

Could it get any worse than it already has?

"Altaïr!" My head sharply turned to find Malik pushing through the crowd toward me, his blade held tightly in hand.

"Malik," I spoke as he stopped next to me, scanning the crowd.

"Christ!" He muttered, noticing the massacre taking place. "It is worse than I could have imagined!"

"What is it?" I questioned, returning his attention to me. "I am running low on patience at the moment."

"It is Abel. He has gone missing!"

My eyes widened at the news before turning into a hardened glare. Things just got a whole lot worse.

"That bastard went after her!" I hissed, turning to look in the direction in which Cynthia had gone to for a brief moment before looking back at Malik. "There is no doubt about it!"

"As possible as it sounds, I do not think that is the case," he explained. "Last time anyone saw him, he was busy trying to escape while holding his bleeding shoulder." I looked out at the fighting, scanning the crowd in search of him. Unfortunately, the bleeding groom was nowhere to be seen. Either he had made it out with the crowd successfully or he was doing well with blending in the crowd.

"Then we will just have to find him on our own!"

With that, I quickly took off back into the crowd, holding my blade tightly in hand, before slicing down a guard that tried to stand in the way. Knowing that Abel was trying to run away like the coward I made him out to be since day one only drove me to find and kill him sooner than before. No man was going to run away from a battle he started on his own accord, because of his selfish ways, and not finish it. If he thought running away from the altar just so he may have a better chance at living was going to mean salvation on his part, he should have thought otherwise. I was going to make absolute sure that he was going to face death like the pathetic little man that he was.

However, before I had any time to start looking for him, a familiar voice caused me to stop in my place.

"ALTAÏR!"

I abruptly stopped in my tracks at the sound of my name, dark eyes widening slightly with recognition. I had known that voice and could recognize it from anywhere, whether it be near or far. It was so recognizable that it caused me to turn around quickly, only to find the owner of said voice standing at a distance next to Malik. My breathing hitched as my dark eyes caught wind of her green hues, sending a surge of relief through me. Just seeing her assured me that she was, indeed, safe from both Abel and Diana. However, I had taken notice to the blood that was slowly seeping from Cynthia's wounded stomach, staining the lower part of her dress with pure crimson red. My eyes widened for just a moment before narrowing. Anger began to fill my body as my eyes narrowed at the sight before my eyes. Even though she was alive and breathing, she was hurt, injured by the woman she once called her beloved friend. Nevertheless, the look on her face gave me some, if any relief, since she was no longer affected by the injuries she had received.

"Cynthia…" I muttered as I looked back at her face. Relief filled my body as I stared at her relieved smile as it appeared on her lips. That only told me that she would be fine and live a little longer in this life.

After a long moment, I watched her – sword tightly held in her hand – begin running into and through the crowd, running past a group of Assassins that were fighting off a few more guards, and toward me. Without even thinking, my hand gripped my blade tightly as well as I began maneuvering through the crowd like a snake in the grass. I was still able to see her despite the people surrounding her, since she was the only one who actually stood out with her blood stained attire. She was easy to spot, and I was able to maneuver through the crowd safely, grazing by a guard that was in mid-battle with another Assassin. She had very little trouble with anyone, since her focus was on me at that point. Her smile seemed to grow as she slowly began approaching me, knowing that I was safe from harm with only several scratches here and there from unsuspecting guards who had attempted – and failed – to kill me.

My mind began racing with multiple thoughts as she started to move closer to me. We were going to get out of here, out of the city, and to Masyaf. Once Abel was dealt with, this bloodbath would end and we would be able to escape with our lives. It would take some time, seeing as the death of a noble would cause an uprising within the land, but it would not keep us down. It would not hinder to chance to flee to Masyaf, where she would be safe. Granted, Templars like Robert de Sable knew exactly where we were hiding, but it was proven that we could hold our own against his army. We had done so once before, and we were not afraid to do it again a second time. All of this would end soon enough, and peace will once again, if only for a moment, return. Cynthia can truly feel happiness knowing her land is safe from harm. Unfortunately, despite everything that I could think of, it was soon shattered in an instant.

Before Cynthia and I even had a chance to reach one another, I suddenly spotted a shadowy figure appear from nowhere, as if he came from the shadows, and suddenly stood in between our paths. My eyes widened before, moments later, a blood-curdling shriek was heard, one that engraved itself into my mind forever as I knew, without having to think twice, whose shriek it belonged. It rang through my ears as I picked up speed, pushing those who continued to fight out of the way, almost as if I was standing next to church bells resonating throughout the city, echoing loudly to a point of deafening me permanently. As I reached where I would have embraced Cynthia, I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks. My dark hues caught sight of her leaning forward and paling with every passing second. The shadowy figure that I had seen moments ago moved just enough for me to spot what was going on.

Cynthia had been stabbed through her chest, through what I believed to be her heart...

_**Cynthia's POV**_

A sharp pain ran straight through my chest, causing me to stop dead in my tracks and shriek so loudly I thought my voice would give out. My hands fell against something cold like ice, knowing immediately that it was a blade. Coughing up blood that had filled in my throat, my eyes slowly looked up to see the blue, pained hues of my husband, of Abel himself. He had on a dark robe, hood and all, as if to hide himself from the crowd and avoid being slaughtered. His face held nothing but a blank expression, but soon changed to pain and disbelief at the sight before him. I stared at him with a pained, yet shocked expression for a long moment before coughing up more blood, watching as it splattered against the ground.

"CYNTHIA!" I heard a horrified voice call out to me - a voice sounding similar to Alexandra - but they sounded much too distant for me to know for sure.

Gasping for as much air as I could, I felt Abel's cold blade disappear before watching him back away and drop his blood stained weapon. My hands flew to my wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding before I found myself swaying a bit, losing my balance. The world seemed to start spinning around me, and I could not longer stand on my own. The people continued to fight around me, as if what had happened was just another fallen warrior, which only worsened my dizziness. Unable to stand for another moment, my body started to fall forward, landing on my knees first before falling forward. Fortunately, though, I did not fall completely as I had previously anticipated when I felt myself start to collapse. Before my upper body collided with the ground, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me, catching me just in time. After a moment, I knew whose arms they were, who they belonged to. I soon found myself simply kneeling on the ground, the arms holding me tightly and close to a warm body. My vision was slowly blurring before me, yet I was still able to see as I slowly lifted my head to stare in a familiar pair of dark eyes – eyes that I had grown to love and cherish for what seemed like forever, for what seemed like an eternity.

"Altaïr…" I muttered softly with a weak smile gracing my lips, my hand slowly and shakily moving from my still bleeding wound to reach up to touch his cheek, only to stop myself and realize that my hand was covered in blood. However, he did not seem to care about that as he quickly took hold of it, gripping it firmly with his own.

"Cynthia, I..." He started, sounding as if he were greatly upset for what had happened, almost as if he was the one who had stabbed me. "I'm sorry..."

"Do not apologize...Altaïr..." I muttered, trying but failing to hold onto his hand as tightly as he was with mine. "You were not the one who caused all of this..."

"He will pay for this..." He growled, his eyes narrowing with pain and anger. "If I lose you...he will lose his head..."

"Do not put all of the blame on him..." I quickly spoke, only to cough up more blood. It took me a moment to recover, and when I did, I went on, "Even though he must die for what he has done...for what he plans to do...do not put all of the blame unto him..."

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

I inhaled deeply before continuing, "He found out about where I was hiding...because he had raped Diana in order for her to speak..."

I watched as his eyes narrowed, almost as if he expected that from Abel.

"You are not making his innocence any better," he explained.

"I know, I know...but it is what happened afterward that barely...just barely...makes him a little innocent, if possible..." Altaïr remained silent, allowing me to continue, "Before Diana died – an archer had killed her – she told me that he did the things he did to hide his pain..."

"What pain? How can a man like him – so selfish and cold-hearted – feel anything at all?"

"Clarice..." I muttered, inhaling deeply again. "Diana only uttered one name – Clarice – before passing." I paused for a moment before sighing a shaky breath. "It must be her that has caused the pain Abel must be...feeling..."

"But how?" He questioned. I wanted to answer, but my throat ran dry for a moment and nothing came out. I felt my body begin to turn cold and limp. "Cynthia?" Altaïr's grip around me tightened a bit, almost out of worry.

Collecting my thoughts, I shakily inhaled again to let him know I was still breathing before slowly speaking once more.

"It...it hurts..." I murmured, gripping the stained dress where my new wound still bled.

He looked down toward it, his eyes narrowing, before looking back at my green hues.

"It will not be for long," he reassured me, moving to try and lift me off the ground. "You will be alright."

Before he had a chance to lift me off the ground, I gripped his robes and tugged on them, urging him to stop.

"It is no use, Altaïr..." I told him. "There is no point in trying to save me..."

"No!" He retorted as if he were biting back the pain welling up inside of him. "You won't die here! Not like some animal!"

"There is…nothing you can do, Altaïr…" I responded. "Besides...maybe this is God's way of punishing me...for the crimes I have committed..."

"Crimes? What crimes could you have committed against your Lord?"

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking in a few breaths of air, before speaking again.

"To sleep with a man before marriage is supposed to be a sin. So I have been told..." I paused as I reopened my eyes and looked back at him. "But...the sin I have committed...means nothing to me...because it was committed out of the love I felt – No...I _feel_ – for you. Not of spite against Abel or the people, and not bring to shame to His name..."

The expression on Altaïr's face told me he wanted to smile at the comment, knowing that I still felt the same way I did back in Damascus, but he could not do it. I could not blame him. The pain inside of him was too much to bear, as it was for me – both physically and mentally speaking. I knew my time on this earth, in this world, was limited even further than I ever thought possible. Not only that, but to know I would probably be damned in Hell for the rest of eternity did not make it any better. However, those things no longer mattered to me. As much as I believed in God Almighty, my mind was not worried about burning in Hell, but on what was happening now at that very moment. I was leaving behind my friends, my family, my beloved Altaïr. Everything that I had grown up learning since I was a child, the people I had met and cherished, were going to be left behind for good. I did not want this to happen, but even if I wanted to be saved, what were they going to do in order to help me?

_And to think..._ I told myself. _To think that death would be a means of saving me... Ludicrous..._

The sound of familiar voices was soon heard, but stopped immediately as they grew a bit louder. It was not just because they had possibly spotted the bloody and pathetic mass that was myself, but because my hearing was giving way as well. Still, I was able to hear a horrified gasp nearby, but my hearing was much too hazy to tell who it was. Blinking, I slowly looked over to spot the blurry, yet familiar figures of Ada and Alexandra standing nearby, their blades in hand and blood covering their face and clothing. The familiar form of Malik had also appeared after a few moments, spotting my pitiful form lying in Altaïr's arms.

"My God…" I heard him muttered, though even that was a little hazy.

Unable to look at them any longer, I slowly looked back at Altaïr, tears beginning to well up in my eyes.

"At least…the others are alright," I told him, "even though I won't be..."

"No! It is not over!" He spoke, his grip tightening around me. "Don't you dare leave, Cynthia Richard!"

My mind began to turn hazy as I looked down at Altaïr's robes.

"I wish we had met on different circumstances..." I muttered, slowly looking at him as my vision started to fade. "Maybe...maybe would have...gotten married someday...and...and started a family of our own...and be together without ever having someone telling us we were impossible..."

"We were never impossible, Cynthia. What we are – what we have – has never been impossible."

A small, weakened smile graced my lips.

"I believe that...but to others, it is." I paused. "Still, that does not make them right..." My breathing started to slowly die down, and my eyes started to close. "Altaïr, I…" Tears started to slip down my paling cheeks. "I love you…"

"And I you, Cynthia."

As he said those few, meaningful words to me, everything soon began turning black around my vision. The light of the sun was slowly fading away from me. My breathing started to hitch as my eyes started to close even more. Every feeling that I once felt before had slipped away, as if my soul was slowly being ripped away from the prison that once held it securely in place. Knowing that my time was slowly coming to an end, I buried my face into Altaïr's robes, taking in his scent and his warmth even if it was for only a brief second. It was better to know that I was going to die in the arms of a loved one than alone, and taking in what they had to offer was the least I could do before passing on. At least, that was what I was told.

"Do not forget me…Altaïr..." I spoke, inhaling shakily before sighing my final breath and shutting my eyes. "Do not forget..._us_..."


	30. Vengeful Conscious

_**Altaïr's POV**_

Cynthia's bloodstained body soon became limp and unmoving in my arms. Her face turned a complete pale, almost as if snow fallen upon her features. Her life had slipped away from her, never able to return to this life ever again. Silence seemed to slowly rise over me, despite the fighting that continued. The clashing of metal against metal, the sounds metal against flesh followed by cries and howls of pain and anguish, vanished like the wind. I quietly sat there on the ground, holding onto her cold and lifeless body in my arms, watching her peaceful, yet pale stricken features. I wanted all of this to be a dream, some kind of nightmare. Unfortunately, I could not shut my eyes and find myself awake in Masyaf, holding her close to me and knowing she was safe within the walls of the Assassin stronghold. I wanted to tell myself that she was fine, that she would live on, but it would not come true. Cynthia was gone for good, and there was nothing I could do to save her. I had failed to protect her like I promised, keep her safe from harm.

"C...Cynthia?" Alexandra asked timidly as she slowly walked over and knelt in front of Cynthia and I. No response came from the pale woman, yet the Hungarian woman did not want to believe what was happening. "Cynthia, t-this is not funny. Not at all. Wake up!"

I slowly looked at her sympathetically, only to feel a quick surge of surprise and sadness fill my body. It was the first time I had ever seen Alexandra Benedek, a strong independent Hungarian woman who always stood up for herself and others...with tears streaming down her lightly tanned cheeks.

"P-please, Cynthia," Ada muttered, following suit and kneeling next to her near sobbing comrade. "Just wake up and we can...we can leave! We can get out of here!"

No response arose from the lifeless body of Cynthia Richard, causing Ada to turn away, taking in a deep breath to prevent herself from crying further.

"No man or woman would be cruel enough to trick others by feigning something as dreadful as death," Malik spoke up, looking down upon the group. "She would not be one to do such a thing, but then again I do not know."

"Don't say that, Malik!" Alexandra shouted, standing up and turning to look at him. "This is only a cruel joke that she is playing on us! She is just...just pretending!" She looked back at me. "Isn't she, Altaïr? Isn't she?"

I stared at her for a long moment, unsure as to what I should say in response to make her feel better. Nothing would make her feel better, I knew that much, and I feared I would say something that would upset her. The still of the silence made more tears stream down her cheeks as she stared at me. Realization had finally hit her despite her constant denial of it all. After another moment, she looked back at Malik, who was unable to look her in the eye and chose to look away from her. When no one spoke up, Alexandra slowly collapsed to her knees and buried her face in her hands, sobbing as if she lost the most important thing in the world. In a way, she did. She lost one of her friends, the one person she called family. I may not have known much about the Hungarian woman myself, but from what I hear from Cynthia, Alexandra was like family to her. She, along with Ada and Diana (now that she had been forgiven after the things Cynthia had said), were like her family, and vice versa. Now, all of that was gone, gone like seasons.

"I am...I'm sorry, Cynthia..." I muttered, pulling her even closer to my body.

It was at that point that rage slowly began to build up inside of me. A sense of seeking out revenge began to cloud my mind as my eyes narrowed angrily. I knew exactly who was at fault for her demise. I knew i_exactly_/i who to blame for this crime, and I knew exactly what to do in order to exact revenge. Looking over at Ada, I grabbed her attention by reluctantly handing over Cynthia's limp body to her. She slowly looked at me with swollen red eyes, wondering what it was that I was thinking, but said nothing as she slowly took the body away from me. It was almost as if she had an idea of what it was, but was unsure I motioned for her to get her out of here. By now, Alexandra and Malik were watching me as I got to my feet, sword in hand, the sounds of the brawl ceasing as the Assassins became victorious against the Templars once again returned.

"Go with Ada," I commanded the two standing before me. "Get Cynthia out of here immediately."

"No, Altaïr," Alexandra spoke, anger clear in her voice. "I am staying here. I am not going to keep running. I am done with running away like some coward." Her eyes hardened. "Cynthia will not die in vain, and I will be the one to make sure of that."

I stared at her for a long moment, yet before I could say anything as a retort, a voice that I did not want to hear spoke up.

"I...I don't believe this..." My head slowly turned to the still hooded Abel, whose expression appeared...horrified? "W-what have I done...?"

"You...have committed an unforgivable crime, Abel," I hissed, gripping my blade tightly in my hand. "One that will cost you your life."

"W-wait, Altaïr! Just a minute!" He exclaimed, taking a few steps back. "You must understand! I do not know what came over me!"

"You lie, Abel!" Alexandra shouted. "You knew exactly what you were doing the moment it happened! You stabbed and killed your own wife, my friend, my sister! You murdered Cynthia!"

Abel shook his head frantically as I slowly stalked toward him as if he were prey, while he took a step away from me.

"Please! I-I did not mean to do it! I don't know what came over me! Please, spare me!"

"When you know death is standing right before your eyes, you cower with fear." I growled. "I should have known you were nothing but a gutless mouse."

No words escaped his lips at those words, yet the fear that slowly continued to plague his mind told him that he wanted to live longer, that he i_needed_/i to live longer. Before anyone had a chance to move or react, Abel was already sprinting away from his fate, his black robes flowing behind him. I was mere seconds from chasing him down and ending him, but I was stopped by Alexandra's hand taking hold of my shoulder.

"Wait, Altaïr," she said as I looked at her with confusion and wonder. "I have an idea on how to stop him." She, then, turned to look at Malik. "Malik, gather the other Assassins and form a blockade at _all_ of the gates leading out of Jerusalem. Abel will not get far knowing there is no escape." She looked down at Ada. "Ada, take Cynthia's body out of here and somewhere safe. A doctor most likely, but somewhere safe and out of harms way. I do not want to risk getting her...damaged."

They both nodded once before doing exactly what they were told to do; Malik approached a few of the Assassins nearby and spoke with them before splitting up in their own designated directions, while Ada picked up Cynthia's still lifeless body and took off. Once that was over and done with, Alexandra returned her attention back to me, her gaze hard yet determined.

"Altaïr, _you_ will be going after Abel," she told me hesitantly, as if she wanted it to be someone else, but became determined once more. "He may be fast on his feet, but I believe you and the other Assassins are much faster." Her gaze hardened a bit. "Make sure he suffers for what he has done to us. What he has done to _you_."

I nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder before speaking.

"Do not worry, Alexandra. I will exact revenge against him. That is a promise I do not intend to break."

She smiled, knowing that I spoke the truth.

"I will be expecting your return and Abel's head when this is all over," she told me before turning around and helping Malik gather the Assassins needed before heading off into the city to their designated places. I watched her leave the scene with a bit of a smile on my face. She was going to make a great leader someday, especially for the Assassins.

Before I knew it, I found myself leaping from building to building, scanning the streets and searching for the fleeing form of the coward Abel. Determination and the vow of vengeance rapidly coursed through my veins with every step and every leap I took toward his presumed direction. The civilians appeared fearful about what was happening, but appeared unsure if running would do much of anything. However, my focus was not on them at the moment. I had to find Abel soon before he made his escape from the city. There was no way that I was going to allow him to escape knowing that Cynthia's death was in vain because of it. His life would end by my blade, and her death would be avenged, no matter what the cost. I would kill him no matter what it took. Even if I had to go to the ends of the world to finish him off, I would do so in a heartbeat. No man, no _coward_, was going to live with taking away the life of an innocent human being and survive to tell the tale. I would do whatever it takes to kill him, even if it meant joining Cynthia in the next life.

As I leapt onto the next building with as much grace as an eagle, I immediately took notice to the very man making a sharp, unbalanced turn around the corner, nearly tripping and falling to the ground as he made his way toward the main gates of Jerusalem. It was in the direction in which the blockade that Alexandra had planned. Eyes narrowing slightly, I quickly began trailing him, my legs never giving out for even a mere second to breathe. Fortunately, Abel had not taken a chance to look up to spot my fast approaching form running along the rooftops. He was much too focused on fleeing for his life and escaping the city instead of worrying about the person who planned to take his life. Thankfully, I knew he was heading straight into a trap. There was no way he would be able to escape from the city with the blockade set up. With the Assassins standing in his path, he will have nowhere else to go and will be trapped like a thief in the market. It would be there that I would easily end his life.

As I had expected, I watched him abruptly slide to a halt as he realized that the gates were, indeed, successfully blocked. The Assassins were blocking every means of escape. Alexandra stood out front, standing tall with a blade in hand much like a leader would, and glowered at Abel with a gaze so hardened it could break glass if it was able to. Malik stood next to her, ready to fight if needed. Abel, as fearful as he was, was cornered; his only way out was blocked and there was no place to run. While he was distracted, I took the opportunity to leap off the building, landing directly in the center of the street and behind his cowering form. He quickly turned around and was just about to make a run for it in my direction, but noticed me quickly and turned pale at the sight. My eyes glowered as I slowly approached him once more, unsheathing my blade.

"There is nowhere for you to run, Abel," I told him. "All of the exits have been blockaded with Assassins."

He took a step back; fear and cowardice clear on his face.

"Just listen to me, Assassin," he pleaded. "For just a few minutes, give me a chance to speak!"

"Why should I listen to you, a pathetic mouse who flees for his life?" I questioned. "You forced Diana to tell you the whereabouts of her friends, making her look like the traitor in the situation, by raping her." I heard Alexandra gasp with shock, but went on, "You lied to all of the people in Jerusalem - no, the Kingdom - that you were soon to watch over, treating them like pawns in your game behind their backs. And worst of all," My eyes glowered at him from under my hood, "you murdered Cynthia, your wife, an innocent person. And for what? To deny her the peace she longed for? Or because you could not live with the fact that she never loved you?"

"I...I don't know!" He retorted hesitantly. "She never belonged to you, Assassin! She was too innocent to be with the likes of you!"

I raised an eyebrow at him before questioning.

"Too innocent?" Cynthia was innocent, but not as innocent as Abel was making her out to be. Who or what was he talking about?

"Yes! Clarice was too innocent to be tainted by your filthy hands. To make sure she was truly happy, I sent her to the Lord instead!"

I blinked once as I stopped in my tracks, confusion clear on my hidden features. His face, suddenly, turned even paler than before at his words. The name that escaped his lips was nowhere near Cynthia's name, but the name of another woman: Clarice. Where had he heard that name before? Then, it suddenly came back to me all at once. It was Cynthia who had brought up that very name before her passing! Apparently, the same woman named Clarice was the reason behind Abel's supposed pain. Clarice _was_ the reason why the man standing before me did all of the things he did, just as Cynthia proposed; to hide the pain that was inflicted upon him. However, as much as that woman was to blame, there was nothing I could do to put an end to her. She did not tell him to do everything he did. He did it all on his own, and it was he who had to suffer the consequences, not her.

"I-I mean Cynthia! I meant to say Cynthia!" Abel shouted, his hands on the sides of his head. "Forget I ever mentioned her name!"

I looked over his shoulder to find Alexandra slowly making her way toward the man, her steps slow but her anger eminent.

"The woman named Clarice," she spoke up, approaching the still cowering form of Abel. "Cynthia mentioned her name before she died, saying she was the reason for 'your pain.'" She sneered at the thought, but went on. "Who is she, and why is she so important?"

"She is nothing! She is someone you should never know nor will you ever meet her!" He shouted frantically, turning to look at her as she stopped abruptly. "She has nothing to do with this! Just forget I even brought her name up!"

"Forget?" She questioned, disbelief clear in her voice.

"Why would we forget the name," I spoke up, "of the woman who caused you to do all of this? Made you bring all of these problems to the surface?"

He looked back at me, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"What?"

"As Alexandra had stated," I started as I started to approach him once again, "Cynthia said that a woman named Clarice was the reason behind your recent actions, as if she were some puppet master controlling your every move."

"Shut your mouth, Assassin!" He snapped, anger now clear in his face. "She did not do anything to me at all! She has never controlled me!"

"I may not know who she is," said Alexandra, "but from what I heard, she is the reason you are like this, so greedy and pompous."

"Lies! All lies!" This time, he had also pulled out his sword and pointed it at me. "Stop bringing her into this! She has nothing to do with this!"

My eyes narrowed slightly.

"She does if it has given you enough of a motive to rape Diana _and_ kill your own wife."

"ENOUGH!" He shouted, loud enough for it to echo. I remained silent as his eyes turned into daggers toward me. "You will pay for saying such...such fraudulence, Assassin. I will kill you where you stand and finish you once and for all! Something that I should have done weeks ago when I had you in my grasp."

As he spoke out of anger, I slowly looked over at Alexandra, who held her sword a bit higher and tighter, as if she were preparing to fight the man standing before her. After a moment, her vengeful gaze soon met calm ones. As a bit of a warning, I silently told her to stand her ground for this fight and to let me handle him. When she realized this, her brown hues widened slightly with disbelief for a moment or two, wondering why I was telling her all of this. My gaze told her that this was just as much of my fight as it was my own, and that I could not risk getting Alexandra killed by Abel as well. It would result in leaving Ada by herself in the world to fend for herself. It was something I could not allow, and I told her all of that with a simple gaze. After a long moment, she slowly lowered her head a bit, glaring at the ground, but stood her ground nonetheless. To be sure, I watched her take several steps back from Abel before nodding in my direction. She had let me know that Abel was mine for the killing, and that she would not interfere no matter how badly she wanted to do so.

When I was sure that she would stand her ground, I motioned for her to join the other Assassins before slowly looking back at Abel, whose eyes could kill if given the ability. I returned the hardened glare, gripping my blade even tighter than before.

"It is your blood that will be spilled today, Abel, not mine." I spoke in a bland, yet hard tone of voice. "You will never see the light of a new day when I am through with you."

He chuckled menacingly and muttered, "We shall see about that...Altaïr."


	31. Altaïr vs Abel

It felt like hours had passed since the fight between Abel and I had begun. I was able to lead him away from the gates and onto the top of the roofs. I wanted to avoid attacking and hurting any civilians that might have gotten in the way during our fight, or bring upon other guards that may have arrived. The sound of clashing and scraping metal could be heard by passersby below, yet they were unsure as to what was going on. The skies had turned into a deep grey color, signaling that rain was going to arrive sooner than later. Yet, I never let up on my attacks and continued to fight Abel, who was holding his own with swift, yet blunt attacks. There were times when I thought I knew what he was going to do, but it soon turned into a wound inflicted on my body instead. He was difficult to read from time to time, but I never gave up. This fight was as good as mine.

Holding back Abel's blade with all of the strength I could muster, I noticed a droplet of rain fall upon my blade, trailing all the way down to the hilt before falling onto the ground. It was soon followed by another, and then another, and then another, before it soon started to pour. However, it did not obscure Abel from my vision for even a second. Instead, it gave me the opportunity to quickly push him back with a swift kick to the chest, as he had become distracted for a brief second over the falling rain. He staggered back and I immediately charged in for an attack. It did not take him long to regain his balance and swiftly dodge the blow, stepping off to the side quickly before making the attempt to counter. Fortunately, my blade rose quicker than his and successfully, but narrowly, blocked the attack. He did not seem upset at all by the swift move. Instead, his expression was still filled with anger and rage over the words I spoke before.

"Blocking will only weaken you," he told me, applying more pressure onto my blade. "Why don't you act like a man and die already?"

I growled before pushing him back slowly.

"You are one to talk," I retorted. "Dodging will tire you out much faster than blocking. I am using brute strength against you, not agility."

"Yes, you are using just brute strength. And you know the old saying." His eyes narrowed more. "Brain always triumphs over brawn."

He swiftly kicked me in the gut, causing me to double over with pain. Without thinking, I quickly sidestepped out of the way of his sword, which collided with the floor instead and caused sparks to fly. Growling, he swung it toward me once again, but it was blocked by my blade again. More attacks soon followed one after another, and with every attack came an abrupt block and parry with my sword. Some of the attacks were successful - a few grazes along my face and robes - but it was nothing too serious. I was able to land a few attacks of my own, catching a few slices on his arms and chest, ruining his wedding attire. Unfortunately, as I went in for an attack, I did not see his fist coming toward me until it connected with my jaw. The blow knocked me back, but I was able to stagger a bit to balance myself. I looked back to find him climbing the closest building without a second glance back at me, attempting to escape me once again. It did not take me very long to chase after him.

At that point, thunder cracked against the sky and echoed throughout the land, the rain falling heavier soon after and soaking me to the very bone. I did not worry so much about the rain, knowing that it was just going to get heavier as time went on. Instead, my mind focused and remained on Abel and seeking his demise. He was fairly fast on his feet, but he was not fast enough. Even if he was faster than me, I had other means to slow him down. Clenching my teeth out of frustration, I quickly pulled out a small knife, gripping it tightly in my hand, and waited for the right moment. I watched as he leapt onto the building across from him, but he stumbled on the landing. Eyes narrowing, I took the opportunity and threw the knife in his direction. It immediately landed on his arm, just below the injury I inflicted on him at the wedding. He cried out in pain and fell, landing on his knees and gripping his arm, yet held his blade tightly in hand. Quickly, I leapt onto the building that he was on, but landed a few feet away from him. As I landed, though, I noticed Abel getting to his feet. His teeth were clenched with pain, but he fought it and stood up. He turned to face me, his eyes hard glare, while I returned it.

"I almost forgot that you carried those knives," he seethed.

"I always carry them around with. Every Assassin does," I told him, gripping my blade a little tighter. "Once again, they came in handy."

Abel growled at me.

"You have always been a damn idiot." He muttered before charging at me again, ignoring the pain in his arm.

I quickly blocked his blade with ease, reading his moves as if they were an open book. However, just as I was about to land a blow, he quickly parried my blade, surprising me. Then, a sharp pain ran across my stomach, causing blood to begin pooling out at a slow rate. I winced slightly, clenching my teeth to bite back the pain, before leaping out of the way of his blade once again. Once I was at a safe distance, my eyes hardened at him.

"What's wrong, Altaïr?" He teased. "Are you upset that I was actually able to land a clean blow on you? You are pathetic!"

I growled, upset that he was mocking me despite being a coward.

"At least I can take the pain," I retorted. Then, I charged at him, blade in hand, and sliced across his chest just as cleanly and fluently as he had done. He gasped with shock and moved away from me, placing his hand against the fresh wound. "You, on the other hand, cannot."

He glowered at me.

"You will pay for that, Assassin!" He hissed before running over and attacking me.

I quickly blocked the attack, but pain suddenly shot through my body, causing me to wince. He smirked as he attacked again, somehow regaining his power in a short amount of time. That, or the wound in my stomach was starting to take effect. It was slowly becoming harder for me to hold him back, the blood that was escaping my body making me become lightheaded as time went on. Beads of sweat began running down my face as Abel smirked at me, knowing that I was slowly, but surely, becoming weaker…

_Maybe I should have let Alexandra help me_, I thought. _Just in case a situation like this arose._

Feeling a burst of strength, I quickly pushed him away before charging at him again, landing a small blow to his shoulder. Instead of becoming distracted with that, he simply laughed and swung his blade. He just barely missed my face, but continued to attacking without hesitation. Fortunately, the wound was not making me lightheaded as fast as I thought it would, giving me the opportunity to keep on fighting him. I was not going to give up because of a wound. I had to keep going if I wanted to finish off Abel once and for all. Unfortunately, I was unable to keep a close eye on him, as he was able to dodge my attack, land behind me, and slice open my back. I growled and attempted to slice him, but due to the new injury, my attack became slower. This, in turn, made him block the attack with ease and cut my chest. Unable to return the attack, he took the chance to kick me back against a wall. On impact, I began coughing up blood, watching as it fell to the floor. The rain continued to fall and soak everything in its wake, cleaning off most of the blood that stained my robes. Panting, I slowly looked up, only to find Abel slowly coming towards me.

"Do you see what happens, Altaïr?" He asked me. "Do you see the result of making false accusations about someone who has nothing to do with what has happened?"

I growled at him, spitting out some of the blood.

"You are getting upset over facts, Abel." I hissed. "Facts that you refuse to admit are true. This Clarice is the reason behind why you became the man you are today."

"No!" He shouted, pointing his blade at me. "Clarice has nothing to do with what is going on! Everything that has happened is because of you!"

"So you murdered Cynthia because of me," I stated. "There has to be more to it. I know for a fact that you never loved her."

His eyes narrowed.

"I may not have loved her as much as you did, but I did not have the motive to kill her."

I sneered at his words.

"Then what do you call stabbing her in the chest?" I snapped.

"A mistake! I was not thinking clearly!"

I slowly pushed myself off the wall, my hard gaze never leaving him.

"Then let me have the honor of clearing your mind with my blade."

With that, I charged at him and swung my sword, ignoring the searing pain that erupted throughout my body. Unfortunately, he was able to knock my blade out of my hands and quickly drive his blade through my stomach,. I coughed up more blood as I quickly pulled out Abel's blade and took a few steps back, gripping the wound as if letting go would kill me. I looked down at my bloody hand, watching as the blood flowed like a river out of the wound, before quickly covering it up again. I glared at Abel again, who had returned the gaze without much of a thought. I could see in his eyes that he was becoming more and more confident, feeling that he was going to win this fight. I glanced over at my blade, which lay on the edge of the building. I knew that I would not be able to get it back without receiving another, possibly fatal, blow from Abel. It was something that I could not risk, not when I was so desperate to finish him.

I was given no other choice…but to flee.

Without a word, I quickly ran toward the building closest to me with as much strength as I could muster, leaping across the gap and landing on it safely. A surge of pain shot through me upon the landing, yet I ignored it and continued to run. The sound of Abel's feet against the rooftop was soon heard, letting me know that he was chasing after me. However, I chose against trying to look back to see just how far he was. Looking around, I realized there was nowhere to run and there was nowhere to hide from him without leaping across another building and slowing me down even more. Sooner or later, Abel would be able to catch up to me and finish me off once and for all. I cursed under my breath as the wounds began opening up. I was not going to allow that to happen, not when I still needed to avenge Cynthia's death. Unfortunately, the wounds were starting to take a much higher effect on me, causing me to slow down a bit and become even more lightheaded than before.

Before I knew what was going on or had time to think, I suddenly found myself on a high building looking to have a thirty foot drop. There were no bails of hay at the bottom, preventing me from performing a Leap of Faith and escaping with what little life I had in me. I cursed under my breath, knowing I was trapped just like Abel was a while ago. There was no place to go to anymore. Glowering at the ground, I slowly turned around to see the devil himself, walking toward me at a sickeningly slow pace.

"So, this is the end in which you were speaking of, Altaïr?" He questioned in a teasing manner. I growled at him, but did not respond. "Are you upset that you're going to die here?"

"I am not upset nor am I afraid to die," I spoke.

He chuckled, his blade tapping lightly against the ground.

"You told me that I was going to die," he spoke in an innocent tone of voice. "Was what you said a lie…?" Once again, silence was his answer, causing him to lie. "So it was indeed a lie! How lovely!"

"It was no lie," I hissed. "I will kill you."

"Ah… Now you decide to speak up." He said. "But you won't kill me without a weapon of your own."

Smirking, I slowly moved my hand up to my back, moving it toward my second blade. However, just as I went to grab it, my hand clasped around air, causing my smirk to disappear immediately. When I searched for the blade, I realized that both the blade and the sheath were no longer there! Abel must have cut them off when he sliced my back! Cursing under my breath, I allowed my arm to fall. I was, now, defenseless.

"I told you~" He teased, chuckling. "You are as defenseless as a lonely child in the street. And you will die like the weak little dog you are."

"I already told you." I retorted, spitting out more blood. "I am not afraid to die…"

"Very well," he responded calmly. "I suppose sending you to Cynthia would be the best way to end your suffering.

With that, he suddenly approached me quickly, landing a swift punch to my gut. I doubled over in pain before falling to the ground, landing on the ground on my hands and knees. I coughed up even more blood, slowly becoming more and more lightheaded to a point where things started to become blurry. Instead of returning to my feet, I simply remained rooted to my spot, letting my head hang in shame.

It had been a long time since I had failed anyone – the last time being the events of Solomon's Temple. Oddly enough, I felt just as much regret as that day, when I saw Malik with his missing arm and glaring at me over the fact that his brother was lost. The regret, though, was aimed toward the fact that I was unable to avenge Cynthia's death. She was going to die in vain all because Abel was able to outsmart me in this fight. Unable to fight back, I felt that everything was going to come to an end. I had failed to avenge Cynthia as I said I would. I failed to kill Abel, the man who had caused all of these problems. I failed Alexandra, whom I had promised to kill Abel and bring not just for myself but for her and Ada as well. I promised to protect Cynthia from any and all harm, but now she was dead all because I was unable to stop that man. I promised that I would kill Abel and avenge her death, but I could not do it. I told myself to keep fighting, for her and to know that she would have been killed in vain, but I could no longer fight. What kind of Assassin fails a second time?

_Forgive me, Cynthia… _I thought to myself, shutting my eyes. _I should have been a little stronger..._

"Any last words…Assassin?" Abel asked me as he stood over me. I did not respond to him; I could not respond to him. There was no reason to do so. "Fine, then. Farewell, Altaïr."

I noticed his shadow raise his blade, preparing to stab me and end my life. Unable to do anything else, I decided to wait for my life to end by his blade. The sound of thunder crashed against my ears for a moment, resonating throughout the land, watching as the blade swiftly came down. However, instead of feeling the pain that was meant to come, nothing happened. The blade, although it appeared that he had brought it down, did not end my life. I could not feel death's embrace taking over me. Only the pain that was in my wounds. What happened? What was going on? Why was Abel not killing me as he said he would? Reopening my eyes, I noticed Abel's figure still looming over me, but was accompanied by another mysterious form as well. Blinking, I slowly turned my head to look up to see the dark haired Englishman. His blue eyes were wide with surprise, but also appeared hazy. It was as if something had appeared before him and frightened him. That...or...

Before I knew it, I watched as he dropped his blade and his arms fell to his sides. It was then that I saw a blade sticking out of his chest. I assumed it had pierced his heart, but I was unsure if that was truly the case. My eyes widened as he slowly looked up toward the sky, allowing the rain to fall onto his face. He was silent for a long moment. Then, I heard him mutter something. It was low, yet I could hear it clearly.

"I am coming for you..." He muttered. "...Clarice..."

With that, I watched the blade escape from his body, allowing him to fall to the ground lifelessly. I stared at his bloody body, shocked to find that he was now dead. However, before I had time to comprehend it all, my vision began fading and the dizziness overtook me. Unable to hold myself up any longer, my body collapsed to the ground, feeling the blood begin pooling around me. After a short moment, I noticed a hazy figure stand in front of me, but was unable to tell who exactly it was anymore. I could feel myself losing consciousness, and my vision was slowly becoming dark. Before I could pass out from loss of blood, one word escaped my lips before I was completely unconscious.

"Cynthia…forgive me..."


	32. Together at Last

_**A Few Days Later...**_

_**July 17, 1191**_

"Is he going to be okay?"

"I do not know for sure. He was badly hurt in the fight. He may very well be dead."

"Don't say that, Malik! He is still breathing! Besides, the others will be devastated if he dies."

"I'm sorry. I do not mean to be negative about this, Alexandra, but-"

"Wait a minute! Look! He's waking up!"

As I slowly began to regain consciousness, my dark eyes slowly began to open, hazy at first but slowly becoming more and more clear as time passed by. The lightheadedness that I had felt had disappeared and was replaced by fatigue, as if I had been sleeping. My vision was blurry for a brief moment, but once it cleared, I found myself staring at a ceiling above me. It looked as if I was in some type of recovery room or something, possibly at the Assassin's Bureau. I was not exactly sure, as I was unable to look around, but I tried not to worry so much about it for the time being. Slowly, I turned my head to one side, blinking a few times in order to see who was there. My gaze fell upon the familiar figures of Malik, Alexandra, and Ada looking over at me. Their expressions appeared to be relieved, though the expressions of Alexandra and Ada were more relieved than Malik; standing by my bedside. Taking a quick look around, I made the confirmation that I was, indeed, at the Assassin's Bureau.

"What…what happened?" I asked, my voice hoarse from not being used for what I assumed was a long period of time.

"You lost a lot of blood and passed out," Alexandra explained.

I looked back at her, noticing her blood stained attire, but said nothing about it and slowly nodded. Then, a single thought came to mind.

"What happened to…to Abel?" I asked.

Ada smiled down at me, moving closer to the bed.

"Altaïr, he's dead," she said, smiling as if the world had been saved. "You killed him. Do you not remember?"

I blinked, giving her a confused look at her words.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "I was not the one who killed Abel." My gaze fell. "Though it should have been..."

Both women gave me confused looks now.

"What do you mean you did not kill him?" Alexandra asked.

"It is just as I said," I told her, glancing back up at her. "I saw Abel die, but it was not I who had ended his life."

The girls looked at one another for a moment before looking back at me.

"But if it was not you, then who killed him…?" Ada asked.

It was then that I heard a voice I did not expect to hear ever again.

"I did."

My ears perked up as we all looked over at the door. For a moment, I could have sworn that my heart stopped at the sight that stood before me. There, standing at the door and leaning against the frame, was Cynthia herself. She had a smile gracing her thin lips, as if she had never been injured or killed at all. It was as if everything that had happened never took place. She was alive, and she looked livelier than ever. She had a few patches here and there from a few injuries that she had sustained along with the bandages that shielded her cleavage due to her supposedly life threatening injury. Still, she looked as if she never went to battle at all. She had on some loose garbs – a loose grey top and some ragged pants – and she had bandages on her stomach where she was bleeding (possibly from the wound Diana inflicted on her), but she still looked well. She looked just as astonishing as the last time I saw her.

I stared at her for the longest time, shocked and surprised to find her standing there as if nothing ever happened; only the bandages and the scars were the permanent reminder of the events that took place. No words were able to escape my lips, though it was clear that I wanted to say something. She simply smiled at us before walking over to my bedside and sitting down next to me, her eyes locked onto me for what seemed like forever. I watched her every move, adoring her even more with every graceful step she took.

"You killed Abel, Cynthia?" Alexandra asked, surprised to hear the sudden news from her friend. Oddly, she was not as surprised as I was to see that Cynthia was still alive.

Richard's daughter glanced at the Hungarian, allowing me take notice to her hair being pulled back in a low ponytail, and nodded.

"Yes, I was the one who had killed him," she said. "I was able to stab him from behind before he had a chance to kill Altaïr." It felt strange, yet soothing, to hear my name escape her lips again.

"I don't believe it!" Alexandra exclaimed. "I was right all along! Altaïr _is _rubbing off on you!"

Cynthia giggled at her words, while I lied there; a small smiled gracing my lips. I watched her as if she was the most wonderful sight in the world. She then looked back at me and returned the smile that I had on my face, her green eyes just as loving and compassionate as the time I saw her in Damascus. Deep down, I knew I had missed that smile just as much as Malik missed his brother. It felt like I had not seen it in so long, long enough for me to become addicted to it. I could see it in her eyes that she had missed me too. I knew she had longed to see me again, and prayed for me to awaken from what I believed was some sort of comatose state. In other words, she was just as happy to see me as I was to see her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the others had noticed us staring at one another for a long period of time, smiling at one another, before smiling.

"I guess we will leave you two alone," Alexandra said as she began pushing Ada of the room. "You both need it after everything that has happened."

Ada did not protest and left rather quickly, wanting to give us the time we needed. The Hungarian then looked over at Malik, who had looked at her at the same time. After a moment, he followed out after Ada, placing a hand on Alexandra's shoulder as if she had done a good deed. She smiled as he left the room before following him out as well. Before she left, though, she looked back at us before smiling. She looked as if she were a parent proud that her child had found someone who would take care of her. After a moment or two of silence, Alexandra left the room, leaving Cynthia and I alone in the room. It was just me and her now – the way it should have been a long time ago.

_**Cynthia's POV**_

"Hello, Altaïr." I slowly muttered to him, my gaze loving.

He continued to stare at me, his gaze locked onto mine for what seemed like forever. I could tell that he was still just as surprised to see me as the others were, and he was trying to take it all in for a moment before actually saying anything at all. I knew he had missed me most of all – maybe about the same as Ada and Alexandra – and I missed him just as much.

My smile grew slightly as I placed my hand on his.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him. "You were really badly hurt and it took a few days to get you all patched up." My eyes lowered for a moment to his bandages before looking back into his eyes. "I was worried you would never wake up."

As I spoke up, he slowly sat up, taking his eyes off of me as he did so. Worried that he might reopen his wounds, I placed a hand on his shoulder. Before I had a chance to say anything, though, he suddenly embraced me, holding me close to his body. My eyes widened a bit, shocked by his sudden actions. He was not supposed to be moving so quickly with the wounds, yet he moved as if he had never been injured at all. Instead, he held onto me, hugging me as if I was the most precious item in the world. Smiling, I slowly returned the embrace, feeling a single tear running down my cheek as I held him lovingly in my arms. I felt happy again to be held in his arms after what seemed like so long. Even in death, I knew my heart had longed to see him again, to see those eyes and feel his warmth even if it was for just a moment. It had to be a miracle, as if God wanted me to live a little longer. I felt so relieved to know that he was still alive, and that Abel did not get the chance to kill him. My smile grew slightly; I felt so happy that I had saved Altair's life just in time.

"I have missed you, Cynthia." Said Altaïr after a long moment of silence, holding me close to him.

"I missed you, too, Altaïr," I responded as he slowly released me, looking into my eyes intently.

"I thought...I thought Abel killed you," he said, his voice low. "He stabbed you right in front of me."

I sent him a reassuring smile, placing my hands on his chest.

"I thought the same thing," I responded. "But I suppose he just missed my heart." My smile grew slightly. "I guess it was a miracle."

He chuckled, shaking his head at my words.

"Luck would be my guess," he said.

I laughed a little.

"Maybe, but I don't think we'll ever know."

He laughed at my words before looking deeply into my eyes again, staring into them with a look I had longed to see again.

"I really thought I would never see you again," he said. My smile faded as I continued to look at him.

"I thought the same thing," I responded. "I felt so cold, so lifeless. It was as if I were a stone statue."

I could sense that he had an apologetic look in his eyes at that point.

"Forgive me, Cynthia…"

I glanced at him with a confused look on my face.

"What?" I asked.

"Forgive me," he repeated himself, "for not avenging you."

I smiled gently, placing my hand against his cheek. I could tell that he had expressed regret for not killing Abel himself, but I never asked to be avenged. Maybe he thought my death was in vain and wanted to kill Abel so that he may feel that I would rest in peace. However, he did not realize that, without him, my world would have no peace.

"It is alright, Altaïr." I said. "I am alive. That is what really counts, right?"

He looked into my eyes intently, looking into them as if he were searching for something. Then, he raised his large hand on my medium one, taking in my scent.

"I suppose…you are right..." He muttered in response. "Still, I would have liked to kill him myself. So that you may rest in peace."

I smiled. _How did I know that he was thinking that? _I wondered as I slowly moved my legs on the bed, lying right next to him, and leaned against his warm chest as I had done about a week ago. I felt his gaze on me for a brief moment, before his arm slipped around my waist, pulling me even closer to him. My eyes slowly closed, taking in his scent like I used to before this whole thing happened. He smelled just like he used to, but there was a hint of blood in it, something that I, oddly, had grown accustomed to. My fear of death and blood had ceased, seeing as there was no use trying to escape it. After all, Assassins should never be afraid of anything, especially not death.

"Altaïr," I spoke. "If I was given the option of whether you should kill Abel or myself, I would have given it to you not because it was for revenge for the things he has done, but because it would make you think that I would be at peace. But the truth is..." I looked up at him. "The truth is...my world would never be at peace if you were not there to keep it that way."

He stared down at me before a smile graced his lips. He, then, placed a light kiss on the top of my head.

"I promise," He said, "that no matter what, I will always be there to give you the peace of mind you greatly desire."

I smiled as I placed my head on his shoulder, shutting my eyes and sighing contently. We stayed like that until I fell asleep completely. 

_**A Few Weeks Later...**_

_**August 8, 1191**_

"Um...Altaïr?" I muttered timidly as he and I entered through the gates of Masyaf, standing behind him as I looked around what I believed was my new home.

A few weeks had passed since the events of what was to be my wedding and the death of Abel. Things had finally settled down within the cities, giving us the opportunity to take our leave unnoticed. Everyone was able to heal up before making the departure, and Altaïr wanted to return to Masyaf immediately to see the Master. According to him, he had been away for much too long and Malik had done enough stalling. He believed it was time to tell him the truth, the truth that I was still alive and I wanted to be an Assassin. Of course, I would not be able to become a full-fledged Assassin, since his Master – Al Mualim – refused to allow women, but being able to stay there would be better than nothing. Unfortunately, Al Mualim knew I was supposed to be dead at least three months ago. Seeing me alive so suddenly would only bring shame to Altaïr's name...again. When I expressed this, he assured me that "keeping me safe from the Templars would be worth it in the end." I just hoped he was right about that.

Upon hearing his name, said Assassin looked at me, noticing my timid form as I continued to look around the new environment.

"There is no need to be nervous about, Cynthia," he said. "It is just as I said. They will not hurt you unless ordered to do so."

I looked up at him.

"But how do I know that Al Mualim won't make that order?" I asked. "He knows that I am supposed to be dead."

"I will make sure nothing happens to you," he assured me. "I will do my best to convince him, seeing as you will become one of us." He paused. "In a way."

Blinking, I stared up into his eyes. They gave me a look of reassurance, letting me know that he would, indeed, protect me if needed. After a moment, I slowly nodded once. I did not want him to worry, and I certainly did not want to look like a coward. Instead, I inhaled deeply and stood tall, giving myself the appearance of confidence. That was what I had to show in a place like this, filled with Assassins who would not look upon fear too kindly. I fixed my dark hood a bit, making sure that it had shielded my face from view, before looking back at him. When he knew that I was prepared to keep moving, he looked forward before motioning me lightly with his hand to follow close behind him. Wordlessly, I complied as we made our way into the village.

Oddly, it was a rather quiet place, something that stood out to me more than anything else. Buildings lined the sides and continued up the mountain. We brushed past a large tree that stood in the middle when we entered. There were a few Assassins wandering about along with a few civilians. A few birds fluttered by in the sky, singing their own songs of merriment and peace. Everyone else that lived in this village appeared...normal, despite the fact that every other person happened to be wearing the robes of an Assassin. I swallowed hard as I passed by a few people, who did not seem to take notice to us. That or they did not mind, seeing as we – or Altaïr at least – were their allies, their protectors. However, there were some that made a few glances in our direction. Their gazes appeared confused, unsure as to why Altaïr of all people was walking with a stranger. A few seemed uneasy, as if I were some sort of threat. I could not blame them all that much. After seeing someone that appeared out of the ordinary, I would feel a bit uneasy myself.

Before I knew it, I found myself walking into a fortress-like castle with flags carrying the symbol of the Assassins – Altaïr told me exactly what they were. Inside, there was a small training area, where two Assassins appeared to be training with one another. Other Assassins stood around it, watching them battle it out to see who the victor was going to be. I watched them for a moment before looking ahead, continuing my way up to the second part of the castle. It was there that I believed Al Mualim presided, and my ever growing anxiety continued to rise. I began chewing on the inside of my cheek absently. It was probably because of the anxiety that was building, but I was not entirely sure myself. Beads of sweat began running down my face as we entered the castle, entering a room with a huge staircase. A doorway leading outside stood at the top of the stairs and split into two different sides each leading to the top floor. Swallowing, I stayed close to Altaïr as we ascended up the stairs.

"Are you sure that you can handle this, Altaïr?" I whispered to him, my voice sounding worried.

He glanced over his shoulder to look at me.

"I have lived through his wrath many times before," he responded, his voice low as well. "It is hard to deal with, but I am strong enough to handle it."

Remaining silent just as we reached the top, I simply nodded once before continuing our way over to where his Master stood. My gaze fell to the floor, watching my feet move one in front of the other, as we passed by an assortment of bookcases. I knew that I was still nervous about meeting this man, but I could not back down now. I had to realize that this is the life I wanted, and doing this will only bring me one step closer to becoming an Assassin. I may not become a full-fledged Assassin, but being here would be best; not just for me, but the others as well. We were outcasts, traitors to the Templar name, and we could not go running back to a cause we so desperately tried to escape from. It would be wrong for us to do such a thing so soon. Not when we were all so very close to being free from the prison we have been trapped in for much too long – years I would say.

Then, after a long moment, we suddenly stopped in front of a desk with piles of books and papers piled on it. Two bookshelves similar to the others stood on either side, and a large window was in the center. It was almost as if it was taken right out of a church and stuck here. The sound of pigeons were heard nearby, making me look over to find a cage filled with a few birds. After a moment, my gaze fell upon the dark hooded figure standing in front of the oversized window and staring down at the city below. Before I had a chance to think, I watched as he slowly turned around to look at us, revealing his face to the both of us. It was clear that the man, who appeared to be well into his olden years, was Al Mualim himself. His beard was a bit long, but was white as snow. The wrinkles marring his face gave me a good enough idea that he was, indeed, much older than both Altaïr and I combined. One of his eyes – his right to be precise – had taken a light, hazy blue color, letting me know that he was blinded in one eye. Nevertheless, I knew that he was just as powerful without the ability of seeing through both eyes. He was still able to appear both calm and collected.

Just before the silence was able to set in completely, I watched as Al Mualim looked at Altaïr, his gaze hardening a bit more.

"So you have finally returned, Altaïr." He spoke. "I expected you to have returned from your second mission a month ago."

Altair lowered his head out of respect.

"Forgive me for not coming back sooner, Master." He responded, lowering his head slightly. "I would have returned sooner had it not been for the guards keeping a constant watch."

"Even with the guards on duty," said Al Mualim, moving toward his desk, "you should know that you would have been able to slip past them unnoticed. The second tenant, do you remember?"

Altaïr remained silent, but nodded once to let him know that he had remembered the second tenant of the Creed. Al Mualim's gaze soon fell upon me, causing my body to stiffen a bit. He, then, slowly began walking around his desk, moving toward us with his hands behind his back. His gaze was hard and cold as ice, as if he knew exactly who I was and recognized me. I blinked. Wait...

"You must be Cynthia Richard, am I wrong?"

I felt my face pale, but kept my calm composure. He sounded upset, _very _upset, to know that I was standing before him. Instead of hesitating, I slowly nodded.

"I am…" I responded, not realizing that my voice was close to shaking. "But...how did you..."

"You do not think I would have gotten word of your survival from word of mouth?" He questioned. I remained silent, barely moving a muscle. He looked at Altaïr. "I assumed that she had lived after hearing from a spy that Abel had requested guards from Richard himself in order to protect both himself and his 'beloved.' Seeing as how soon after Cynthia could have died, I did not believe he would continue on with the wedding unless his bride was still alive."

"But..." I started, but he raised a hand to stop me. I remained silent.

"Then, I had gotten letters from Malik, telling me that the next target Altaïr was meant to kill – Majd Addin – was in hiding, and he was unable to finish him as I had wanted until Addin came out of hiding." He shook his head. "I would have expected you, Altaïr, to hunt that man down, whether he was hiding or not, not waste your time waiting for him to appear." Altaïr said nothing, unable to find the right words in his defense. "When I had gotten word that Majd Addin was dead from Malik a month later, I expected you to return for your next target. However," His gaze hardened even more, "you did not return until today. Weeks later when you could have returned days after his demise!"

"At least I was able to kill him like you asked," Altaïr spoke, finding his voice. "I was not going to leave him knowing that-"

"Knowing that you had failed once before?" Al Mualim interrupted. "You thought killing one man was going to be enough for me to forget about her?"

"How could I kill an innocent person, Master?" He questioned. "She has done nothing wrong to bring any harm to her people or to the Order. She is just as innocent as any civilian living in any of the cities." I sensed his eyes narrow. "The first tenant, do you remember?"

I watched as Al Mualim closed his eyes, seeing how Altaïr used his own words against him.

"That may be," he spoke, "but I told you before. She had to die in order for you to reach Robert."

"I would have gotten to him by other means. Taking the life of an innocent, however, is a mistake I choose not to make again."

Unable to come back with a retort, Al Mualim looked away, turning back toward his desk and moving toward it.

"Why did you bring her here, Altaïr?" He questioned. "You know she does not belong here as much as any other Templar alive."

"She no longer wishes to be a Templar, Master." Altaïr said, keeping his head low. "She wishes to be an Assassin, seeing as she would be able to protect her people more than she ever could before."

Al Mualim shook his head again, turning to look at the Assassin.

"So you think she has changed," he stated, moving his hand behind his back. "I warned you about what women can do to your mind. They can distract you and make you think they are different, when in reality-"

"Enough!" I shouted. Both the attention of Altaïr and Al Mualim fell upon me. My eyes hardened. "I do not know who had given you the idea that women were nothing but distractions to men, but I will let you know that that is completely false! As a woman myself, I am not here to distract anyone at all, but to serve the Assassins with as much loyalty as I had blindly given to the Templars."

"How do I know you are not lying, daughter of Richard?" Al Mualim questioned. "How do I know you will not turn back and betray all of us?"

"Why would I betray a Cause I am dedicated to serving?" I responded. "Nothing in the world would convince me to betray the Assassins."

Al Mualim turned back to his desk.

"Material things that can draw us in can be enough," he said. "You may fall for the things you so blindly accepted."

"If what you say is true," I spoke, "then why is it that I am here? If I am here, doesn't it mean I have given it all up?"

Al Mualim remained silent at my question. I assumed he was pondering the thought seeing as it was the truth. As he turned back to face the window, I felt Altaïr's hand brush against mine. I looked at him, noticing the intense gaze he was sending to me. It was not one of anger, but of surprise. To know that I was so willing to speak up about Al Mualim's false accusation of women shocked him, especially since this was the first time I had met the man. Nevertheless, I remained true to my word and stuck with it. I was not going to allow him to walk all over women as if we were just objects in this world. I, for one, knew I was no object to anyone. I had felt that way with the Templars for long enough, and I was not going to feel that way here. Al Mualim, whether I became an Assassin or not, was not going to disrespect me as he may have done to other women who have lived here longer than I have. In fact, I was going to make sure he did not treat other women that live here with such disrespect. Seeing as they were here longer, they deserved it a lot more.

After a moment, I glanced back at Altaïr's master, only to tense up as I watched him lift something off his desk. My heart began beating rapidly as I noticed a knife appear in his hand. I could feel my face turning pale, yet I remained calm and kept my composure (despite the fact that my hands were shaking). I noticed Altair's hand clench tightly at the sight, but did nothing as he watched his Master turn back around to face us again. I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that Al Mualim was going to kill me instead of listening to me. He was going to finish me off the way Altaïr should have months ago when he had the chance. However, as an Assassin, I knew that I could not fear death as I had once been in the past. I had to face it head on, take it by the horns, and accept it. Accept it as easily as I had done months ago. When I noticed Al Mualim standing in front of me, I inhaled deeply before letting it out.

"I suppose...you do not believe me," I spoke. "Fine. Do what you feel is right."

I could tell Altaïr had tensed at my words, yet I remained focused on Al Mualim, showing him just how strange I was under his intense gaze. We remained in our staring for what seemed like forever before I watched him raising the blade toward my neck. Although my heart was beating rapidly, I remained calm, keeping a straight face and appearing to have no fear. However, instead of ending my life, he simply placed the sharp edge against my neck. He applied pressure to it, but not enough to break skin. For the first time since I had arrived, surprise immediately appeared on my face. Why was he not killing me just as I thought he would?

"You may no longer pledge your allegiance to the Templars, but it does not mean you will become an Assassin so easily." He spoke. "However, I will allow you and any of your...accomplices...that have joined you to stay here in Masyaf. Betray us, though, and I will be the one to end your life." I stared at him for a long moment, speechless beyond words at what he was saying. Then, he lowered the blade from my neck, turned around, and walked back to his desk. "You will tell no one of this place. Should you or anyone else do so, your life will end where you stand right now." He explained as he walked over to his large window. "Be happy that I have considered your stay, but be warned. You will be watched constantly. To be sure you do not deceive us."

Silently, I looked up at Altaïr, who had simultaneously looked at me as well. He appeared to be just as surprised as I was to see that Al Mualim had allowed me to live. Then, I looked back at Al Mualim, who had returned to the spot he had been in when we arrived.

"Thank you." I spoke. "I can assure you I will not fail you."

He did not respond. I slowly looked back at Altaïr, who appeared to be a bit confused, before turning and making his way out. Wordlessly, we exited the building and began making our way back to the gates, where Malik, Ada, and Alexandra were waiting for us to return. When we left and were sure that Al Mualim was unable to hear us, I was the first to show some sort of real emotion, exhaling the breath the I did not realize I was holding in.

"That was not what I was expecting," I muttered.

Altaïr looked at me.

"Were you expecting him to kill you?" He questioned.

I nodded once.

"I did. Really, I did. I am still surprised to know that was willing to see me live on despite my past."

It was there that he stopped me by taking hold of my hand. I looked at him, taking note to his gaze turning to one that I had loved dearly. Silently, he took the lead once again, leading me out of the stronghold and over to the edge of a cliff that overlooked the village that was Masyaf. Eyes widening a bit with surprise, seeing as how the sun was setting over the horizon, I took in all of the sights that it had to offer. The sight was calming to me, almost as if the world was, finally, at peace. This was something I had longed to see. It was a sight I would cherish for the rest of my life. This was it; this was my new home. A place of peace and majesty, a place where I can finally relax and enjoy life as I had wanted to do for so long. This was the world that I wanted throughout the land.

Blinking, I looked up at Altaïr, who had looked back down at me. A small smile graced his lips as he pulled me closer to him. My gaze looked out at Masyaf as his hands fell upon my shoulders, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Your past is no more, Cynthia." He whispered in my ear. "You are an Assassin now. From here on, your future will be what is important to you. To us."

Smiling, I turned my head to look up at him, staring into his eyes with all the love in the world. Then, I moved up to gently brush my lips against his, bring us into a loving and passionate kiss. One that I had wanted to feel again in what seemed like years.

Life as an Assassin, as someone who was going to make a difference in life, was going to be very different from living the life of a Templar. I knew that for sure. However, I was the target of Altaïr Ibn-la'Ahad. Had it not been for him, I would not have realized just how horrible the world really was. How ruined it had become over time. When I thought about it, I was glad. Glad to have met him, glad to have fallen for him, glad to have become the target of his heart.


	33. Epilogue

_**Weeks Ago...**_

_**July 13, 1191**_

_**General POV**_

The rain continued to fall upon the limp, yet still living, body of Abel. His blood still poured out of his wounds, but since he was dying, it was slowly ceasing. He was unable to move, and his lungs were slowly starting to fill up with blood. He knew his time was ending, and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. How could he have been so blind? How could have not realized that someone would have come up from behind and stabbed him, ultimately trying to kill him? How could he not realize that someone – Cynthia he presumed judging by the voice – was going to live from the fatal blow he accidentally inflicted on her? It was unlikely, Abel knew that much, but it did not mean it was not possible for her to have survived the blind attack. Unfortunately, he was much too blind with killing Altaïr to fully realize that that possibility had turned into a reality. He was too engrossed with defending the name of Clarice to realize his life would be in jeopardy.

Blue eyes opened slightly as he watched the rain fall upon his face. Clarice, the woman whom he had been defending against the accusations of Altaïr. The Assassin believed it was because of her that everything that happened the way it did. It was not true, not in the very least. It could not have been. She did not even know what was going on! How could she manipulate the events that took place without ever knowing? She could not, that was why. Yet because of his little slip of the tongue, everyone assumed it was her fault. His eyes narrowed, blinking once as a droplet of water fell on his cheek, giving him the appearance of crying. She was innocent, innocent as a newborn child. To know that she was being the target of all of these problems was uncalled for, and even in death it greatly angered the Englishman to a point where he would attempt to kill the Assassin again if he had the strength.

A shaky sigh escaped his lips as thunder rolled across the sky. If only he was given the chance to apologize for everything that had happened.

Then, he turned his head to the side, waiting to die after lying there in pain. However, just as he did that, he saw a figure clothed in white making its way over to his body. His eyes widened slightly as the figure stopped in front of him, looming over him with an aura of calmness and peace. Blinking, his head moved up the length of the figure, stopping to look up at a pair of blue eyes looking down upon him. He recognized those eyes immediately, and deep down, he wanted to see them again. He longed to see them again, but feared he never would. Now, though, he was looking at them, reveling in their beauty.

"Abel..." The voice spoke, the sound of sweet femininity resonating in his ears.

"C...Clarice..." He muttered, watching as she lowered herself onto her knees and lifted his head off the soaking ground. "I...I have missed you...Clarice..."

He watched as a smile played against her lips as she gently placed his head on her lap.

"And I have missed you, too, Abel," she said, stroking his soaked dark locks of hair.

He blinked.

"Forgive me..." He spoke. "The Assassin...he...he said all of those things about you..."

"I know, but you and I both know it is not true," she spoke soothingly. "It was all because of-"

"No," he interrupted her. "Anyone but..."

Her smile fell, seeing that he was still in denial after so long, after so many years. There was no way she would be able to convince him otherwise, and stressing him out before he died and went to his Heavenly Father would cause him to live without the peace he deserves for all of eternity. Instead, she dropped the subject, her smile returning to her face as she leaned forward a bit, her damped auburn locks falling past her shoulders.

"Believe what you must, Abel," she said, "but I want you to rest in peace."

A smile slowly formed on his lips, staring into her eyes. Seeing them meant the world to him, and she knew that all too well. He admired that about her, seeing as they were the only things that stood out about her. Unfortunately, he would be leaving the world soon, but it would not be long until he was holding onto his beloved Clarice once again. She was there; ready to take him up to Heaven to be with God. They would be together, even in death he knew he would be forever happy as long as she was there with him.

Sighing, his eyes began to close.

"I will be with you again..." He muttered as his eyes closed completely. "Clarice..."

With those words spoken, he breathed his last breath, leaving behind the soaked and saddened Clarice. Her face fell a bit as his body went limp. He was too far off toward Heaven to realize the truth, but there was nothing she could do now. She could not explain everything to him despite wanting to; she wanted to let him know that things would be different for a little while so that he would wait for her like he said he would. Unfortunately, the plans had changed. Now that Abel was dead first, there was no way that the dream they had both planned would come about. Time has separated them once again, only this time it felt as if it was more permanent than ever before. Nevertheless, Clarice was determined to wait a little longer. She was determined to wait until she died of a natural death to be with him once again. That way, he could be just as happy as he said he would be. According to him, there was no happiness with the one person you love.

Gently placing his head back on the ground, Clarice slowly stood, pushing back her hair that stuck to her clothes and skin. After a long pause, she slowly turned her head in the direction in which Cynthia Richard had carried off the unconscious body of her lover Altaïr. She knew that because of Abel's death, an unspeakable chain reaction would bring about their downfall – Cynthia and Altaïr's downfall. Clarice knew that because of the events that had taken place, the Templars would not rest until everything was, once again, in order. The meaning: They would not rest until Cynthia was returned to them. More so with her father, as their relationship was strained and he would do anything to renew it. Not only him, though, but those who wished to seek revenge for the death of Abel, those who were so close to him that their blood would forever course with seeing and bringing about the death of Cynthia.

It would be then that the lives of Cynthia Richard and Altaïr Ibn-la'Ahad would be torn asunder.

"Cynthia Richard..." She muttered, pausing for a moment as a roll of thunder echoed throughout the land. "You may have won this battle...but the war has only just begun..."

_**To Be Continued...**_


End file.
